Two members of the notorious Razakar Bahini, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani Army, were on Tuesday sentenced to death by a Bangladeshi war crimes tribunal for crimes committed, mainly against Hindus, during the 1971 liberation war against Pakistan.
Obaidul Haq Taher (66) and Ataur Rahman Noni (62) are members of the Razakar force, an auxiliary force of the Pakistan Army. They face six charges, including murder and genocide. They had pleaded not guilty, Dhaka Tribune reported.
They were given death penalties on two charges and imprisonment till death in two other charges by the country’s International Crimes Tribunal. The court acquitted them in two other charges.
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The court said the government can execute them either by handing them by the neck or by shooting them.
Taher and Noni were involved in the abductions and killings of at least 30 people and looting of 400-450 shops and setting fire to those on fire in 1971.
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The tribunal on March 2 last year framed six charges against the two. Twenty-three prosecution witnesses testified against them.
Notorious for their atrocities
Taher and Noni joined the local Razakar Bahini and were notorious for the atrocities committed in various parts of Netrokona including the Sadar upazila and Barhatta, mainly against the local Hindus. Taher was the commander of the local Razakar unit, the report said.
With Tuesday’s verdict, 18 of the 26 accused in 22 war crimes cases so far have been handed down the capital punishment.
Bangladesh so far executed four war crimes convicts since the belated trial process of the top Bengali perpetrators of 1971 atrocities started in line with the electoral commitment of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2008.
’71 War wiped out 3 million
Bangladesh says three million people were killed during the nine-month liberation war against Pakistan in 1971.