The three-judge International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Thursday handed death sentence to five war criminals from Purbadhala, Netrakona.
All the five were found guilty of committing murders, raping, abduction, torturing in confinement and looting houses before setting them on fire in the then Netrokona sub-division during the Liberation War.
The tribunal chairman, Justice Md Shahinur Islam, read out the operative part of verdict.
Justice Amir Hossain and Judge Md Abu Ahmed Jamadar, the two other judges, read out parts of the verdict’s summary.
The condemned convicts, Abdul Majid alias Majid Maulana, 66, Md Abdul Khaleque Talukder, 67, Md Kabir Khan, 70, Abdus Salam Beg, 68, and Md Nur Uddin alias Raddin, 70, were tried in absentia as they are absconding.
The tribunal directed the home secretary and the inspector general of police to take effective and appropriate steps to arrest the absconding convicts.
Seven charged were proved against all the five war offenders, for five charges they got death sentences.
For two charges two offenders were jailed for life as well as for 10 years.
On April 19, 2017 six suspects were indicted, one of whom Md Abdur Rahman, 70, died in jail custody during the trial.
Majid and Nur were members of the Nezam-e-Islami Party while Khaleque, Kabir and Salam were Muslim League activists.
During the Liberation War, they joined the Razakar force.
In the observations, the tribunal said that the convicts used ‘rape’ as a ‘tactic and weapon’.
Majid and Khalek were handed jail for life until death for killing three Hindus in the village Purbadhala Rajpara and looted their homes on May 1, 1971.
They were jailed for 10 years for abducting Abdul Goni of Barha and torturing him in confinement on July 25, 1971.
Both got death sentence for abducting Abdul Khaleque Talukder of Barha and murdering him after looting and torching his home on August 21, 1971.
Majid, Khalek, Salam and Nuruddin were handed death for abducting and murdering Mahir Uddin of Barha on August 27, 1971.
Majid, Nuruddin, Salam and Abdur Rahman were handed death for abducting four villagers from different corners of Purbadhala and killing two of them in between November 12 and 16, 1971.
All the five were sentenced to death on the common charge of abducting and killing Siraj Ali Mandal of Moudam on November 20, 1971.
Majid, Khalek and Kabir got death sentence for raping a woman on November 25, 1971.
The verdict says that the all death sentences and jail terms would get merged in death sentence on its execution.
Senior prosecutor Mokhlesur Rahman Badal said that the prosecution was satisfied over the verdict.
Defence lawyer Gazi MH Tamim said his clients did not get justice.
This was the 36th verdict in as many war crimes cases in free Bangladesh.
During the trial, 26 prosecution witnesses were examined.
No defence witnesses were produced.
Until now, 85 war criminals have been convicted, 59 to death and 26 others were jailed.
Six death sentence recipients have been executed.