M Humayun Kabir: The International Crimes Tribunal has sentenced five Patuakhali men to death for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.
A three-member panel of judges led by Justice Shahinur Islam announced the verdict yesterday, reports bdnews24.com.
The convicts, who were in court to hear the verdict, are Md Esahaque Shikder, Abdul Gani alias Gani Howlader, Md Awal, Md A Sattar Pada and Solaiman Mridha alias Soleman Mridha.
According to the court, the five were sentenced to death for killing 17 people, vandalism, arson, abduction and torture in Itabaria village of Patuakhali during the Liberation War.
They were also sentenced to death for the rape of at least 15 women from the same village in 1971, it said.
“These women are our true war heroes. It is time to recognise them,” the tribunal said in the verdict.
According to the law, the convicts will be able to appeal the decision at the Supreme Court within a month of the verdict.
The prosecution said all of the convicts were supporters of Conventional Muslim League prior to 1971, but they were involved with the local wing of the BNP at the time of their arrests in 2015.
The International Crimes Tribunal indicted them on March 8 last year.
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