The International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday directed its registrar office to publish advertisements in national dailies asking five absconding war crimes accused to appear before it in connection with two separate cases filed for allegedly committing crimes during the Liberation War in 1971.

The three-member tribunal led by Justice Md Shahinur Islam passed the order after police submitted two separate reports mentioning them as fugitives, said Prosecutor Sabina Yesmin Khan Munni.

As per the order, Abdul Matin, 63, of Barolekha Police Station in Moulvibazar, one of the three accused of a case, has to appear before the tribunal within November 23, she said.

Other two accused of the case Abdul Aziz alias Habul, 64, and Abdul Mannan alias Monai, 64, are now in jail.

On February 2, the prosecution pressed five specific charges against the three. The charges include abduction, torture, looting, arson, rape, killing and acts of genocide committed under Barolekha Police Station, the prosecution said.

As per another order, four fugitive accused from Gaibandha has to appear before the tribunal within November 26, said the prosecutor.

The fugitives are: Abdul Jabbar Mondal, 86; Jachijar Rahman alias Khoka, 64; Abdul Wahed Mondal, 62; and Montaz Alia Bepari alias Momtaz, 68, of Gaibandha Sadar upazila. The fifth accused of the case, Ranju Miah, 59, is now in jail. The prosecution on March 9 pressed four charges against the five for allegedly committing crimes in 1971.

According to the investigators, all the accused were involved with Jamaat-e-Islami during the Liberation War. Jabbar and Jachijar were arrested in 1972 on charges of wartime offences but did not face trial.

The charges involved killing one Hindu man, torturing two Hindu women and forcing around 400 Hindus of the Sadar upazila's Sahapara union to leave the country; killing nine people at Nandina village and looting around 50 houses; killing five people at Doulatpur village; and killing seven people in Sahapara union.