DHAKA: Jamaat leaders Chowdhury Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan were sentenced to death for killing of intellectuals during the country’s war of liberation in 1971.

International Crimes Tribunal-2 lead-by Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the verdict on Sunday.

The tribunal sentenced them to death as all 11 charges brought against them had been proved.

Earlier, Justice Shahinur Rahman started reading out the summery of 154-page verdict at around 11:00am in absence of the two accused.

Besides, Justice Mujibur Rahman Mia read out second part of the verdict while tribunal chairman Justice Obaidul Hassan read out the main part of the verdict.

On September 30, the tribunal kept pending (CAV) the verdict in the cases of Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan after ending the arguments from the prosecution and the defense.

The ICT-2 completed the trial proceedings against the duo in absentia as the closing arguments from the prosecution and the defence completed on that day.

Mueen and Ashraf, now living in London and New York were indicted jointly  facing 11 charges of crimes against humanity that include the abduction and killing of 18 intellectuals including Shahidullah Kaiser and Selina Parvin between December 11 and December 15, 1971.

On May 11, the tribunal made a public announcement in newspapers, asking the war crimes suspects to appear before the tribunal within 10 days of the publication of the announcement. As per the ICT order, notices were published in national dailies on May 12.

Among the 18 intellectuals, nine were Dhaka University teachers, six were journalists and three were physicians, according to the probe report of the prosecution.

On April 25, the prosecution submitted formal charges against the accused. The prosecution brought 16 charges against the two under Section 3(2) of the Act which deals with crimes against humanity and peace, genocide, killing and rape.

Ashraf and Mueen were indicted on June 24 on 11 counts of crimes against humanity. The tribunal indicted the duo in absentia on that day. The rules of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973 provides for trial in absentia if any accused fails to appear before the tribunal within the designated time.

BDST: 1313 HRS, NOV 03, 2013
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