Closing arguments begin June 14
Proceedings in a case against eight “Jamalpur Al-Badr men” is set to enter the final stage as International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday fixed June 14 to begin hearing closing arguments.
The defence yesterday completed cross-examining the last prosecution witness, Motiur Rahman, also the case's investigation officer, and declined producing witnesses.
As per previous precedents, the three-member tribunal led by Justice Anwarul Haque will later on keep the case waiting for a verdict.
Shamsul Haque and SM Yusuf Ali are in jail and plead not guilty.
Ashraf Hossain, Prof Sharif Ahammed, Abdul Mannan, Abdul Bari, Harun and Abul Hashem are absconding. They face five charges including murder, torture and abduction committed in the district during the 1971 Liberation War.
Meanwhile, the tribunal directed its registrar's office to publish advertisements in two national dailies asking 14 war crimes accused from Cox's Bazar to appear before it within one week of the publishing date. It also fixed July 14 to pass the next order.
Police recently filed a report saying they could not arrest them, prosecutor Rezia Sultana Chaman told The Daily Star.
The fugitives are Moulavi Zakaria Sikdar, Oli Ahmad, Jalal Uddin alias Jalal Ahmed, Md Saiful alias Sabul, Momtaz Ahmed, Habibur Rahman alias Habib Munshi, Moulavi Amjad Ali, Abdul Majid, Abdus Shukkur, Md Zakaria, Moulavi Jalal, Abdul Aziz, Ramiz Hasan and Samsul Haque.
The prosecution on March 15 pressed 12 specific charges, including genocide and crimes against humanity committed in Maheshkhali upazila mainly between May 1 and 6 in 1971, against 19 persons, including the 14.
Of the rest, Md Rashid Miah, a former BNP lawmaker from Cox's Bazar, is on bail for ill health while Salamat Ullah Khan, Badsha Mia, Nurul Islam and Osman Gani are in jail.
Comments