BANGLADESH

Abul Kalam Azad, better known as 'Bachchu Razakar', has fled the country and is headed for Pakistan to evade arrest on war crimes charges, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) said on Monday.

Quoting his sons, RAB said he crossed the border to India.

RAB media wing director M Suhayel told : "His two sons and brother-in-law told us that he fled to India through Dinajpur's Hili border. His destination is Pakistan."

His sons and brother-in-law have been detained by RAB on Monday, he said.

'Bachchu Razakar' left Dhaka on Mar 30 and entered India on Apr 2, Suhayel said family members told them.

The RAB official said Bachchu Razakar travelled by road to cross the border at Hilli in Dinajpur and entered India on Apr 2, a day before the International Crime Tribunal ordered his arrest on war crimes charges.

A former National University teacher named Dr. Yusuf drove Bachchu to the border in his car, RAB said.

The RAB spokesperson said an hotelier named Abul Kashem Azad, who is a friend of Bachchu Razakar, gave him shelter at Hilli before he crossed the border.

RAB said they arrested Azad on Monday.

Law enforcers, however, could not arrest the teacher who helped Bachchu to reach the border.

RAB organised a media briefing on Bachchu Razakar's escape later on Monday night. His two sons – Shah Mohammad Faisal Azad and Abul Kashem Muhammad Mushfiq Billah Zihad – and brother-in-law Kazi Ehteshamul Haque were produced before the reporters there.

Zihad, in RAB custody, told reporters that his father was taken to the Hili border on Mar 30 night from Yusuf's Agargaon residence. Bachchu Razakar had been lying on the back seat of a black car during the journey.

"After he reached India, he talked with my maternal uncle (Ehtesham) through mobile phone on Apr 3. He then came to know that an arrest warrant was issued against him," Zihad said.

Zihad said his father informed Ehtesham that he was safe in India.

International Crime Tribunal-2 issued arrest warrant against Bachchu Razakar on Apr 3 for 'collaborating with the Pakistan occupation forces and committing excesses during the Liberation War in 1971'.

Police conducted raids at various places to arrest him, but failed to find him.

After failing to find Bachchu Razakar in a drive at his Uttarkhan residence, assistant commissioner of Detective Branch of police Sunanda Roy on Apr 3 told reporters he could flee as their were weaknesses in watch.

However, Suhayel on Monday said, "He didn't leave the country legally. And the border is a huge area. So, it was not possible to keep a watch on the whole border."

RAB detained Bachchu Razakar's sons and his brother-in-law from old Dhaka and they will be produced in court on Tuesday, RAB media wing director Suhayel said.

Meanwhile, Bachchu Razakar's daughter on Monday sought an order from High Court asking police to produce her two brothers and uncle alleging they were picked up by law-enforcers on Apr 6 early morning.

The court fixed Tuesday for hearing the appeal.