Tribunal questions fettering of four war crime suspects

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 yesterday asked the inspector general of police (prison) to explain within seven days why four war crimes suspects of Maheshkhali upazila of Cox's Bazar were bound with fetters.

The four -- Nurul Islam of Sonajanpara, Osman Gani of the upazila headquarters, Zinnat Ali of Muhurirdail village, and Badsha Miah of Kalagazirpara -- were arrested on Thursday and Friday and produced before the tribunal yesterday.

They are among 19 people of Maheshkhali facing arrest warrants in a case over crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

Another suspect, Mohammad Shamsuddoha, 74, was arrested at his daughter's house in Maheshkhali yesterday, said Didarul Ferdous, inspector (investigation) of Maheshkhali Police Station.

So far, police have taken into detention seven suspects in the case including an ex-lawmaker and a leader of BNP who were arrested in March.

TRIBUNAL-1

The tribunal-1 yesterday gave more time to two top leaders of Islami Chhatra Shibir, unofficial student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, to give explanations why they should not be punished for “making a derogatory statement” that “constitutes contempt of the tribunal”.

They were asked to submit replies on June 14.

The tribunal initiated contempt proceedings against Abdul Jabbar and Atiqur Rahman, president and secretary general of Shibir, on May 4, for making "derogatory" comments after Jamaat-e-Islami leader and war crimes accused ATM Azharul Islam was sentenced to death on December 30 last year.

In a joint statement, the two Shibir leaders, three Jamaat leaders and a lawyer of Azharul said, "...Inconsistency was everywhere in the case [against Azhar]. That judgement was not given on the basis of fair justice but on the reflection of speeches by the Awami League and their alliance, destructive agitators of Shahbagh."

On May 4, the four others were exonerated.