Six war criminals sentenced to death in Khulna

International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Thursday awarded death sentence to six criminals on charges of committing crimes against humanity in Khulna during the 1971 liberation war.

A three-member judicial panel headed by tribunal chairman justice Md Shahinur Islam handed down the verdict.

The death row convicts are Amjad Hossain Hawladar, Sahar Ali Sardar, Atiar Rahman, Motachim Billah, Kamal Uddin Goldar and Nazrul Islam, all hailing from Batiaghata upazila of Khulna district.

The verdict was pronounced in presence of five war criminals at dock as another Nazrul Islam is at large.

This is the 48th judgment of the ICT in the case of crimes against humanity during the war of liberation.

According to sources, four or five Razakars including Amjad swooped on the house of Shanti Lata Mandal in Machalia village of Batiaghata and tortured and shot Vinod Mandal to death after abducting him on 10 August in 1971.

In another charge, they said the death awardees tortured and shot dead unarmed Haridas Majumdar after attacking his house located in Chaprashi area at Purbahalia village of Batiaghata upazila On 15 October 1971.

In third charge, it is said that, they attacked Sukhdara village of Batiaghata, killed four innocent unarmed Hindu people, looted goods of four to six houses and conducted arson terrorism to eliminate the Hindu community on 21 October 1971.

On 29 November 1971, they also attacked Baroaria village of Batiaghata and shot freedom fighters Jyotish Mandal and Abdul Aziz dead.