23 face war crime charges in 3 districts

Twenty-three more people have been sued for their alleged involvement in war crimes in Magura, Gazipur and Chapainawabganj districts in 1971.A petition case was filed with Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court, Magura, yesterday against 13 alleged rajakars for killing Kabir Hossain of Mollapara in Magura town on July 19, 1971. Md Shariful Islam Nannu filed the case, according to our correspondent. The accused are MA Awal, Mohammad Kabir Hossain, Mahbubur Rahman, Md Khokon Chowdhury, Atiar Rahman and Nazrul Islam and Md Hafiz Khan of Magura town, Moshiul Alam Hasnu of Sreerampur, Khondoker Abu Fateh of Mirzapur, Abu Bakar of Beroil, Khaledur Rahman of kalupara village in Magura Sadar upazila, Abdur Rashid of Chhoyghoria and Abdur Rashid (2) of Shatnupur villages in Shalikha upazila. Chief Judicial Magistrate Sheikh Jalaluddin asked the officer-in-charge of Magura Sadar Police Station to accept the case as an FIR (first information report) and submit a report to the court after proper investigation. In Gazipur, A case was filed with Senior Judicial Magistrate's Court yesterday against six alleged rajakars.Moriam Begum, wife of freedom fighter Sahajuddin of Lohagachha village under Sreepur upazila, filed the case. The accused are Afsaruddin Bhuiyan, Rashid, Abul Hashem, Abul Kashem (1), Abul Kashem (2) and Jasimuddin of the village, reports UNB.In the case statement, the complainant said the accused stormed into their house on October 15, 1971 and tortured her two brothers-in-law. They picked up her sister-in-law, took her to a nearby jungle and raped her, she alleged.She further said the accused looted valuables from the house and set fire to it.Our correspondent from C'nawabganj reported that two separate cases were filed with Judicial Magistrate's Court here yesterday accusing four alleged collaborators of Pakistani occupation forces for killing two brothers--Zillur Rahman and Astar Hossainin Gomostapur upazila on June 16, 1971.Zillur was killed at Rahanpur High School ground while Astar on the premises of Gomostapur Police Station.The accused are Mohammad Abdul Khaleque, and Mohammad Mainul Haque of Nimtola khatal village, Ziaur Rahman alias Dhulu of Rahanpurn Bazar and Mohammad Harun of Bogla village under Gomostapur upazila of the district.Mobarak Hossain and Abdul Khaleque, two cousins of Zahidnagar village under the upazila, filed two separate cases against the accused for killing their fathers.The court recorded the statements of the complainants and asked the officer-in-charge of Gomostapur Police Station to investigate the cases.