War crimes tribunal chief passes away
Justice Anwarul Haque, chairman of International Crimes Tribunal-1, passed away at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) in Dhaka yesterday.
He was 61.
“He breathed his last around 5:30pm,” Shahidul Alam Jhinuk, registrar of the tribunal, told The Daily Star over phone.
Justice Haque is survived by his wife, a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his death.
His namaz-e-janaza will be held on Supreme Court premises after Juma prayers today. Later, he will be buried at Jurain graveyard, the registrar said. His body would be kept at the BSMMU mortuary until then, he added.
Justice Anwarul Haque was diagnosed with lung cancer in January this year and took treatment at hospitals at home and in Singapore, a staff of the tribunal said.
Although he was suffering from cancer, he took part in tribunal's proceedings for many days and even delivered judgment of a case during this time, the official said.
He was admitted to BSMMU on July 5, the day he returned from Singapore, Alam said.
On hearing the news of his demise, Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, Food Minister Qamrul Islam, judges from the Appellate Division and the High Court Division of the Supreme Court, tribunal's prosecutors and SC lawyers rushed to the hospital to pay their last respect to the judge.
“The demise of such an honest and sincere judge is an irreparable loss for the judiciary,” the chief justice said.
President Abdul Hamid and Law Minister Anisul Huq expressed deep shock at Justice Anwarul Haque's death and conveyed their sympathy to the bereaved family.
Born in 1956, Justice Anwarul Haque passed SSC from Dhaka Government Muslim High School and HSC from Notre Dame College, Dhaka, according to his resume on the ICT's website.
He completed his LLB (Hons) and LLM degree from Dhaka University. He also obtained a Graduation [Advance Diploma] degree and Diploma in drafting of Legislation from the University of the West Indies.
He joined the Bangladesh Judicial Service on 1 December 1981 as a Munsif (Assistant Judge). He served as District and Sessions Judge in Chandpur, Laxmipur and Gazipur districts and was also the Chairman of the Labour Court-2 in Chittagong.
He also served as a section officer, deputy secretary, joint secretary, additional secretary and secretary to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.
He was elevated to the post of additional judge of the High Court on December 12, 2010, and was appointed judge of the same division on December 10, 2012.
Justice Anwarul Haque was appointed the chairman of the International Crimes Tribunal-1 on September 15, 2015. Prior to holding this post, he had been working as a member of the same tribunal since March 25, 2012.
He was involved with all 17 verdicts the tribunal-1 has so far delivered since February 2013, including the judgements in the cases against Jamaat leaders Ghulam Azam, Delawar Hossain Sayedee and BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury.