DHAKA, June 24 (Xinhua) -- A war crimes court Monday framed charges against two non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) in absentia for their alleged crimes against humanity committed during the country's war of independence in 1971.
The court named "The International Crimes Tribunal-2" last month issued arrest warrants against Chowdhury Moinuddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan, who were allegedly leaders of Al-Badar, an auxiliary group of then Pakistan army, on charge of killing 18 intellectuals at the end of the war.
"Ashrafuzzaman is now staying in New York and Moinuddin is staying in London," Prosecutor Zeyad Al Malum had earlier told reporters.
The ICT-2 on Monday also set July 15 for opening statement in the case and examination of prosecution witnesses.
After returning to power in January 2009, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Bangladesh's independence hero Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, established the first tribunal in March 2010, almost 40 years after the 1971 fight for independence from Pakistan to castigate those committed crimes against humanity during the nine-month war.
Since Jan. 21 this year, two tribunals dealing with the war crimes cases have delivered verdicts in four cases. One former and two current leaders of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islamy party were sentenced to death while another Jamaat high-up received life imprisonment.
Apart from them, many more leaders of Jamaat and several high- ups of ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are now facing war crimes charges before the tribunals.
Jamaat, which denies any role in war crimes committed by pro- Pakistan militias, says Hasina's ruling Bangladesh Awami League party has targeted the party to split the Khaleda Zia-led 18-party main opposition alliance.
Childhood in an isolated sterile room
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