[JURIST] The International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh (ICTB) [Facebook page] on Monday indicted a leader of Bangladesh’s largest Islamic party for alleged human rights atrocities committed during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War [GlobalSecurity backgrounder] against Pakistan, making him the fifth member to be indicted. Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, the third-highest ranking member of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) [GlobalSecurity backgrounder] party, was indicted on several counts [AFP report], including genocide. Kamaruzzaman is accused of being one of the main organizers of Al Badr, a group of Pakistan supporters that allegedly committed murders and genocide throughout Bangladesh during the war.

Kamaruzzaman is the most recent leader to be arrested and charged with war crimes for his participation in atrocities committed during the 1971 war. Last month Ghulam Azam, former head of the JI party, along with chief Matiur Rahman Nizami and deputy Abdul Quader Molla were indicted [JURIST report] by the ICTB. The tribunal ordered Azam’s arrest [JURIST report] in January. In November the ICTB began its first trial [JURIST report] in the case against Delwar Hossain Sayedee, a former member of Parliament in the National Assembly of Bangladesh [official website, in Bengali] and one of the former leaders of JI. Human Rights Watch [advocacy website] last year sent a letter to the Bangladesh government praising its efforts through the ICTB to prosecute war crimes but urged the government to ensure that the trials are carried out in accordance with international human rights expectations [JURIST report].