Former BNP lawmaker sentenced to death for crimes against humanity
A three-member bench of Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) headed by Justice Md Shahinur Islam delivered the verdict on Wednesday
Former BNP lawmaker Abdul Momin Talukder, alias Khoka, has been sentenced to death for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.
A three-member bench of Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) headed by Justice Md Shahinur Islam delivered the verdict on Wednesday.
The ICT held the trial in absentia as Abdul Momin Talukder, who was known as Khoka Razakar in 1971, is yet to be arrested.
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Momin killed 10 people in Kolsha village on 22 April 1971. He along with fellow Razakars plundered 16-17 houses in Kashimala village during 24-27 October, and shot five innocent people to death, reports BSS.
Momin, his men and their masters in the Pakistan occupation army raided Talshon village of Adamdighi upazila on 25 October, and gunned down four freedom fighters.
A total of 15 prosecution witnesses testified against him and 13 of them were cross-examined by the state-appointed defence counsel.
On 31 October this year, the Tribunal kept the judgment on CAV, curia advisory vault (a Latin legal term, meaning court awaits judgement), when both the prosecution and defence concluded their arguments in the case on that day.
The war crimes case was filed with a local court against Momin in March 2011 by Subid Ali, a freedom fighter of Kayetpara village in Adamdighi upazila. The case was later forwarded to the International Crimes tribunal.
On 11 April 2019, the Tribunal framed three charges against Momin.
Abdul Momin was elected lawmaker from Bogura-3 constituency in 2001 and 2008.
He is currently the vice president of BNP's Bogura district unit, and assistant organising secretary of BNP's Rajshahi division unit.
Momin's father Abdul Mazid Talukder was the president of Adamdighi thana Muslim League in 1971. Momin himself was an active member of the Muslim League at that time and became commander of the local Razakar Bahini as his father formed the group in the locality when the war started. Momin went into hiding after the Liberation War and joined the BNP in 1978.
