Taher, Noni to walk to the gallows

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Tuesday handed down death sentences to Obaidul Haque alias Taher, and Ataur Rahman Noni of Netrakona for their crimes against humanity they committed during the war of independence in 1971.
The three-member tribunal delivered the unanimous judgment by reading summary of the 268-page verdict against the duo in a crowded courtroom in the Old High Court building amid tight security.
The presiding judge of the tribunal, Justice Anwarul Haque, pronounced the verdict around 12:15pm while two other judges Justice Md Shahinur Islam, and Justice Md Shohrowardi were present.
The tribunal kept it open for the government to execute the punishment either by hanging or by shooting them.
Both Taher, 65, and Noni, 62, who were in the dock, were tried on six counts of crimes against humanity, they committed at different places of the then Netrakona sub-divisional town during the Liberation War.
The duo was sentenced to death on two charges — one for killing seven persons including Jafar Ali Talukder on October 19, 1971, and raping a woman on the same day; and, other for killing six persons including Bodiuzzaman Mukta after abducting and torturing them on November 15 and 16, 1971.
They were awarded imprisonment for life until death in two other charges — one for killing liberation war organiser Fazlur Rahman Talukder, looting Baushi Bazar and set it on fire on August 17, 1971; and, other for abducting Dabir Hossain, and torturing and killing him on October 4, 1971.
The convicts were, however, acquitted from two other charges — one from grabbing houses of Moloy Biswas and Shrish Chandra Sarkar deporting their family members in mid-May 1971; and, other from killing 15 persons including teacher Kamini Chakrabarty in early October 1971.
Prior to the verdict, the two reached the tribunal around 9:20am from the Dhaka Central Jail amid tight security.
The tribunal on Monday announced that it would deliver the verdict in the war crimes case against Taher and Noni today.
On January 10, on completion of the trial of Taher and Noni, the tribunal said that the verdict would be delivered later.
Taher and Noni came from Mokhterpara in Netrakona town.
In 1971, Taher was an active leader of Nezam-e-Islami Party.
The prosecution could not ascertain what Noni’s political identity was in 1971.
In 1971, Taher was the commander of the Razakar force at Netrakona town and Noni was its member, according to the prosecution.
Both of them were indicted on March 2, 2015 and their trial began on April 5.
The defence produced no witnesses while 23 prosecution witnesses testified against the duo.
This was the 22nd verdict in as many war crimes cases since 2010, when the first ICT was constituted. For the ICT-1 it was the 11th verdict.
The ICT-2, constituted on March 22, 2012, is not functioning since September 15. The ICT-2 delivered verdicts in 11 war crimes cases.
Until now, 24 war offenders have been convicted, mostly Jamaat leaders.
(Updated)