Convicted war criminal arrested in Sylhet

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have arrested a convicted war criminal from Sylhet's Golapganj, reports UNB. He was sentenced to death in a case filed in connection to war crimes in 1971.

The 70-year-old convict, Md Abdul Matin, is a resident of Barlekha upazila in Moulvibazar district.

According to the case statement, Matin took training in India for the Liberation War, but later joined Razakars (collaborators of the Pakistani army) and committed war crimes.

Based on information, a team of RAB-3 arrested the absconding convict Matin from the residence of his nephew in Golapganj on Sunday night.

His arrest comes seven years after he went into hiding following a warrant, RAB said in a press release on Monday.

Five charges of crimes against humanity - genocide, kidnapping, torture, arson and rape in 1971 were brought against Abdul Matin and two others named Abdul Aziz and Abdul Mannan, who were also sentenced to death in the case.

They were arrested earlier and they are now at Kashimpur Jail, added the release.

On 16 October, 2014, the International Crimes Tribunal started an investigation against them. The Tribunal completed its investigation on 14 November, 2016. The tribunal sentenced the three to death on 19 May, 2022.