The trial of fugitive war crimes accused Engineer Abdul Jabbar, a former Jatiya Party MP from Pirojpur, began Sunday in absentia, following opening statement by the designated prosecutor Zahid Imam.
The opening statement over, the prosecution put its witness in the dock to testify against the accused before the International Crimes Tribunal-1, headed by Justice M Enayetur Rahim.
On August 14, the three-member tribunal indicted Engineer Abdul Jabbar for his involvement in crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, after fulfilling the legal requirements of law for trying a fugitive accused, including the appointment of state defence counsel.
On the opening day (Sunday), the prosecution placed 75-yaear-old Shoebur Rahman Golder, a Liberation War hero, as prosecution witness (PW) No. 1.
Hailing from village Tushkhali of Mathbaria upazila, Pirojpur, Golder told the tribunal that then Pakistan Muslim League leader Abdul Jabbar Engineer, MNA, had formed Mathbaria Peace Committee (collaborator) declaring himself as its chairman and appointed Iskander Ali Mridha as Razakar commander during the Liberation War in 1971. Accused Jabbar also formed the Tushkhali Union Peace Committee, he added.
