First witness testifies against SQ Chy May 14

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 will record on May 14 the testimony of the first prosecution witness against BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury regarding the crimes against humanity that he allegedly committed during the Liberation War of 1971.
The tribunal fixed the date yesterday after hearing the prosecution's opening statement, which officially began the trial against Salauddin Quader on May 3.
According to Zead Al Malum, the conducting prosecutor of the case, the prosecution has submitted a list of nine witnesses who will testify against the Chittagong MP in the “first phase” of witness testimonies.
Other witnesses will be produced before the court as the trial continues, he told the media after the proceedings.
The BNP leader was produced before the court yesterday. He is facing 23 specific charges of crimes against humanity that he allegedly committed during the 1971 war.
Prosecutors Zead Al Malum, Nurjahan Begum Mukta, Saiful Islam, Hrishikesh Saha, Sultan Mahmud and Mir Iqbal Hossain read out the 105-page opening statement in two days.
The prosecutors went through historic details that led to the birth of Pakistan, and the events that paved the way for the Liberation War in 1971. They also read out the charges brought against Salauddin Quader.
At one point during yesterday's proceedings, AKM Zaheer Ahmed, a judge at the three-member tribunal, remarked that in the name of the opening statement, the prosecution was rereading the formal charges against the BNP leader.
In response to a prosecution prayer for a short adjournment for producing witnesses, the tribunal chairman, Justice Md Nizamul Huq, adjourned the proceedings against Salauddin Quader until May 14.
Justice Anwarul Huq and AKM Zaheer Ahmed are the two others judges at the three-member tribunal-1.
Meanwhile, the tribunal yesterday recorded the cross-examination of the 28th and last prosecution witness against Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee, who is also facing war crimes charges at the tribunal.
Mohammad Helal Uddin, the witness and investigation officer who probed the charges against Sayedee, yesterday faced questions about some cases filed against the Jamaat leader and about some websites he used during the investigation, among other things.
Mizanul Islam, a defence counsel for Sayedee, conducted the cross-examination for the third day yesterday. It will resume today.
Delawar Hossain Sayedee was produced before the court yesterday. He is facing 20 charges of crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War.
Saydee and Salauddin Quader are two among six Jamaat-e-Islami and two BNP leaders who are facing such charges at two tribunals set up to deal with the 1971 crimes.