Staff Reporter :
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT) on Tuesday sentenced jail until death to fugitive Engineer Abdul Jabbar, a Jatiya Party leader and former MP,
for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.
The tribunal-1 headed by its Chairman Justice M Enayetur Rahim found 82-year old Jabbar guilty of all five charges and handed down him imprisonment until death in four charges instead of death penalty, “considering his advanced age.”
In the other charge, the tribunal awarded him 20 years jail and a fine of Tk 10 lakh. In default, the convict will have to serve two years more in jail. The three judges of the tribunal namely Justice M Enayetur Rahim, Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Anwarul Haque pronounced the judgment in his absentia. Jabbar is the fifth person who had been tried in absentia
The two tribunals — ICT-1 and ICT-2 — have so far convicted 17 persons in 16 cases.
Jabbar has been fugitive since the start of the prosecution.. The accused has been sentenced under Section 20(2) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973 and both the sentences will run concurrently, said the Tribunal.
Four charges brought against Jabbar earned life imprisonment until death for him. He was involved in abetting and facilitating the killing of two Freedom Fighters from Phuljhur village namely Abdul Malek and Motaleb Sharif in a public gathering at Mathbaria High School field in Pirojpur on May 16, 1971.
Sarda Kanta Paikm was shot dead by the collaborators by the order of Jabbar on May 17 in the same village. He and his accomplices also set 360 houses on fire. The accused was involved in the killing of 11 people as well as looting and torching 60 houses at Noli village in Pirojpur on May 22, 1971.
Jabbar and his cohorts picked up 37 people from Angulkata and Mathbaria villages on October 6, 1971. Of them, 22 were afterward killed and others injured in that incident.
He was sentenced for 20 years imprisonment and fine of Tk 10 lakh for forceful conversion of 200 Hindus into Muslims at Tushkhali village in the last week of May in 1971.
Regarding the sentences, Prosecutor Advocate Jahid Imam said that he expected death penalty for the accused as he (Jabber) was directly involved in the crimes against humanity during the Liberation War. “We have been able to prove all charges brought against the accused with adequate evidences and expected the highest punishment for him,” he said.
On the others hand, state appointed defence Counsel Advocate Abul Hasan said he did not get support from the absconding Jabbar. “If he would have appeared in person to face the trial, I think he could have been acquitted,” he said. The Tribunal framed charges against Jabbar on August 14 last year.
The Tribunal declared Jabbar ‘fugitive’ on July 8 in 2014, as the accused did not appear in the tribunal even after the advertisements were published in the newspaper asking him to surrender to the tribunal.
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT) on Tuesday sentenced jail until death to fugitive Engineer Abdul Jabbar, a Jatiya Party leader and former MP,
for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.
The tribunal-1 headed by its Chairman Justice M Enayetur Rahim found 82-year old Jabbar guilty of all five charges and handed down him imprisonment until death in four charges instead of death penalty, “considering his advanced age.”
In the other charge, the tribunal awarded him 20 years jail and a fine of Tk 10 lakh. In default, the convict will have to serve two years more in jail. The three judges of the tribunal namely Justice M Enayetur Rahim, Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Anwarul Haque pronounced the judgment in his absentia. Jabbar is the fifth person who had been tried in absentia
The two tribunals — ICT-1 and ICT-2 — have so far convicted 17 persons in 16 cases.
Jabbar has been fugitive since the start of the prosecution.. The accused has been sentenced under Section 20(2) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973 and both the sentences will run concurrently, said the Tribunal.
Four charges brought against Jabbar earned life imprisonment until death for him. He was involved in abetting and facilitating the killing of two Freedom Fighters from Phuljhur village namely Abdul Malek and Motaleb Sharif in a public gathering at Mathbaria High School field in Pirojpur on May 16, 1971.
Sarda Kanta Paikm was shot dead by the collaborators by the order of Jabbar on May 17 in the same village. He and his accomplices also set 360 houses on fire. The accused was involved in the killing of 11 people as well as looting and torching 60 houses at Noli village in Pirojpur on May 22, 1971.
Jabbar and his cohorts picked up 37 people from Angulkata and Mathbaria villages on October 6, 1971. Of them, 22 were afterward killed and others injured in that incident.
He was sentenced for 20 years imprisonment and fine of Tk 10 lakh for forceful conversion of 200 Hindus into Muslims at Tushkhali village in the last week of May in 1971.
Regarding the sentences, Prosecutor Advocate Jahid Imam said that he expected death penalty for the accused as he (Jabber) was directly involved in the crimes against humanity during the Liberation War. “We have been able to prove all charges brought against the accused with adequate evidences and expected the highest punishment for him,” he said.
On the others hand, state appointed defence Counsel Advocate Abul Hasan said he did not get support from the absconding Jabbar. “If he would have appeared in person to face the trial, I think he could have been acquitted,” he said. The Tribunal framed charges against Jabbar on August 14 last year.
The Tribunal declared Jabbar ‘fugitive’ on July 8 in 2014, as the accused did not appear in the tribunal even after the advertisements were published in the newspaper asking him to surrender to the tribunal.
