Judge Zaheer quits war tribunal-1

Member of the International Crimes Tribunal-1 Judge AKM Zaheer Ahmed yesterday resigned on the grounds of illness.
His replacement is likely to be Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim of the High Court.
Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain yesterday afternoon proposed Justice Jahangir to replace judge Zaheer at the tribunal.
Supreme Court Registrar AKM Shamsul Islam told The Daily Star yesterday that the chief justice proposed the name of Justice Jahangir after the ministry of law requested him for an HC judge for the tribunal.
Law ministry sources said the president would appoint the justice as a member of the tribunal after the ministry completes the relevant procedures.
Yesterday, Law Secretary ASSM Zahirul Haque told reporters at his office that judge Zaheer had submitted a letter to his office around 1:30pm seeking relief from work as he was seriously ill.
Judge Zaheer, a former district judge, was sick since his appointment as a member of the International Crimes Tribunal on March 25, 2010. His health deteriorated around two months ago, he said.
The law secretary said the judge could not sit somewhere for a long time and could not move well now-a-days. That was why he sought relief from the duty of a tribunal judge.
He also said judge Zaheer resigned after meeting with Law Minister Shafique Ahmed at his Bangladesh Secretariat office.
State Minister for Law Qamrul Islam told The Daily Star that there was no pressure from the government on judge Zaheer Ahmed to resign.
Normal proceedings of the International Crimes Tribunal would not be hampered due to resignation of the judge, as a new judge would be appointed within a day or two.
During the Ramadan, judge Zaheer used to join court proceedings late after visiting hospital for his treatment.
Judge Zaheer was present in the first session of yesterday's court proceeding but he was absent after lunch.
The section 6(4) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, says, “If any member of a tribunal dies or is, due to illness or any other reason, unable to continue to perform his functions, the government may, by notification in the official gazette, declare the office of such member to be vacant and appoint thereto another person qualified to hold the office.”