A special tribunal in Dhaka is likely to deliver its verdict on the war crimes case against former state minister Syed Mohammad Qaisar any day now after trial proceedings concluded today
Qaisar, a former state minister of the Ershad regime, is facing 16 charges of crimes against humanity and genocide committed in Habiganj and Brahmanbaria during the Liberation War in 1971.
After hearing prosecution's rebuttal against defence's argument, the International Crimes Tribunal-2 kept the case waiting for verdict. The tribunal also cancelled the bail of Qaisar and sent him to jail, reports the Daily Star.
An alleged local leader of Razakar and Peace Committee, two anti-liberation forces, Qaisar was charged for "participating and abetting" an act of genocide in 22 villages under Nasirnagar upazila in Brahmanbaria that left 108 Hindus dead.
Qaisar was also the founder of the Qaisar Bahini, which worked with the Pakistani Army, and was also charged with at least 11 incidents of killing that left 47 people dead, two incidents of rape and two incidents of inhuman acts between April 27 and November 15, 1971.
He was arrested in Dhaka on May 21, 2013, following a warrant of arrest issued by the tribunal, but was granted bail in August of the same year on health grounds.