The International Crimes Tribunal 2 on Sunday criticised late president Ziaur Rahman and deposed president HM Ershad for rehabilitating Al-Badr men involved in eliminating intellectuals at the fag end of the country’s war of independence in 1971.
The tribunal made the censure in the verdict against fugitive Al-Badr operatives Chowdhury Mueenuddin and Md Ashrafuzzaman Khan.
It mentioned that Shariatullah Bangali, 64, a resident of neighbouring village of Mueen under Daganbhuyan upazila in Feni testified that Mueen had come to his
native village twice under police protection, during the rule of Ziaur Rahman and H.M Ershad.
The judgement referred to a report of Special Branch of Police of Feni district which said that Mueen had come to his native village, during the regime of Ziaur Rahman and H.M Ershad, by a vehicle of Pakistan embassy in Bangladesh.
‘It is indeed a great shame for the nation that the government [Ziaur Rahman regime and H.M Ershad regime] allowed Chowdhury Mueen Uddin who went into hiding and later on fled to abroad, to visit his native village under police protection and protocol. Instead of being condemned Chowdhury Mueen Uddin was rather honoured by state machineries,’ the judgement said.
‘What a shame! What a shame! This fact indubitably shakes and debases the nation,’ the tribunal observed. (source)