TUI RAZAKAR

Compiled By : Habib

Dhaka (PTI): Pakistan’s former President General Yahya Khan has been named among 1,597 people accused of indulging in “war crimes” during the 1971 Liberation War in a list released by a Bangladeshi research group here.

The “war criminals”, including 369 members of Pakistan military, have been accused of indulging in mass killings, rapes and other atrocities during the conflict by the War Crimes Facts Finding Committee (WCFFC), dedicated to investigate the the 1971 war crimes.

The rest included their Bengali-speaking collaborators including politicians and members of the paramilitia Razakar and Al Badr forces and Biharis, who migrated to the then East Pakistan following the 1947 partition of the sub-continent.

“We have drawn up the list on the basis of field-level investigation, statements of eyewitnesses and victims, and examination of relevant documents for 17 long years,” WCFFC convener MA Hasan told PTI.

The list came four days after the interim government in emergency-ruled Bangladesh sought UN support for the trial of the 1971 war criminals amid growing campaign for bringing them to justice.

Hassan said they also took the help of Pakistani documents including a judicial enquiry committee report prepared after their 1971 debacle.

He said the list and evidence would be handed to the government and Election Commission to help them try the war criminals and disqualify them from elections.

“We will circulate the list among the international community also.”