RAB nabs two fugitive war criminals in Dhaka

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested two fugitive war criminals, who were sentenced to death in absentia for committing crimes against humanity, from the capital’s Mohammadpur and Manda areas on Thursday night.

Among the arrestees, Md Jachizar Rahman alias Khoka was held from Mohammadpur and Abdul Waheed Mondal from East Manda, said a press release. The duo was sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal for war crimes committed during the Liberation War in 1971.

After the primary interrogation, RAB come to know that Khoka went into hiding after his bail petition was denied by Tribunal in 2016 and remained on the run since then. He use to change the address on regular basis to avoid arrest. As his sons are financially sound, they paid Khoka regularly to meet his financial needs.

Khoka passed Secondary School Certificate (SSC) in 1968 from Khoddokomarpur High School in Gaibandha. During the Liberation War, he joined the Razakar Bahini and assisted the Pakistani Army in various operations.

Meanwhile, Abdul Waheed has been closely associated with Jamaat-e-Islami since 1970. During the Liberation War, they carried out attacks and sabotage activities in various places in the Gaibandha area in collaboration with the Razakars and the Peace Committee men.

Waheed went into hiding when an arrest warrant was issued against him in 2016 after not attending a hearing of the ongoing case at the International Criminal Tribunal. He stayed in Dhaka and Savar for some time and later joined a Tabligh group and travelled to different districts to escape law enforcers.

The duo was involved in various war crimes including murder, genocide, rape, detention, abduction, torture, arson attacks, looting and forcing the Hindu community to convert and migrate in Gaibandha during the Liberation War in 1971.