Dhaka: The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) 1 on Tuesday took the charges against nine people, including former BNP and Jamaat MP Maulana Shakhawat Hossain, into contingence in the cases for crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War.

The three-member tribunal headed by Justice M Enayetur Rahim fixed 30 September  for starting the trial.

The tribunal also acquitted three accused—Ojihar Morol, Akram Hossain and Moshiur Rahman—from the charges as no specific charge was brought against them, said Advocate Abdus Sattar, lawyer of the accused.

They were first to have been acquitted in a case for crimes against humanity during the 1971 war.

Earlier on 26 July, the prosecution pressed five counts of charges against Shakhawat Hossain and 11 others for their alleged involvement in crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.

The prosecution, led by Justice M Enayetur Rahim, submitted the charges to the ICT 1.

The tribunal fixed 8 September to decide whether it will accept the charges against Shakhawat and others.

On 29 November, 2014, police arrested former MP Maulana Sakhawat Hossain from the city’s Uttarkhan area for his alleged involvement in the crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.

There are a number of war crimes allegations against Sakhawat, including that of murder and mass killing.

A war crimes investigation agency started investigation into the crimes in April 2012.

According to the agency, Sakhawat was a central committee member of the then Islami Chhatra Sangha (now Islami Chhatra Shibir) in 1971. He was the in-charge of Hisladanga Razakar camp in Keshabpur.

Sakhawat was elected MP on Jamaat ticket from Keshabpur constituency in 1991 while on BNP ticket in the 15 February election in 1996.

Jatiya Party picked him for the January-5 election this year. However, his candidature was cancelled over the war crimes charges.