Defence allowed to cross-examine witnesses again

The war crimes tribunal yesterday accepted petitions filed by the defence of Jamaat-e-Islami leader AKM Yusuf, seeking reopening of the cross-examination of seven prosecution witnesses.
Irked by perpetual absence of Yusuf's conducting counsel from the court proceedings during opposition-enforced hartals and blockades, the judges had closed the cross-examination of the prosecution witnesses.
During the hearing on the petitions, the defence appealed to the court to summon the witnesses but the prosecution opposed it.
The three-member bench of the International Crimes Tribunal-2 said it had accepted the plea for the sake of justice.
The ICT-2 chairman, Justice Obaidul Hassan, with members Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Shahinur Islam, however, asked the defence to pay Tk 40, 000 as the transport, food and accommodation cost of the witnesses, all from Bagerhat.
They also set December 23 for Yusuf's counsels to begin the cross-examination.
The conducting counsel, Syed Mizanur Rahman, did not appear in the court since November 25 citing “unavoidable situation.”
On December 11, the tribunal cancelled his vocalatnama (power of attorney) and asked Yusuf to appoint a new lawyer.
Mizanul Islam, who had defended Jamaat leaders Ghulam Azam, Motiur Rahman Nizami and Delawar Hossain Sayedee, yesterday joined as the conducting counsel for Yusuf amid a fresh 72-hour blockade being enforced by the opposition.
Senior counsels of war crimes accused Jamaat leaders usually skip court proceedings on the days of hartal or blockade citing "security concern or unavoidable situation or personal difficulties."
Yusuf, historically known as the founder of infamous Razakar force, is facing 13 charges of involvement in crimes against humanity and genocide committed in greater Khulna region during the nine-month-long Liberation War in 1971.
QAISAR'S CASE
Meanwhile, the prosecution completed its submission on the charge framing against Syed Mohammad Qaisar, who had been the state minister during HM Ershad regime.
Reading out the 18 charges brought on November 10, prosecutor Rana Dasgupta said, “We believe that we have succeeded in giving necessary documents [statements of witnesses and other relevant documents] for framing charges [against Qaisar]."
According to the prosecution, Qaisar had been involved in an act of genocide that left 108 people, mostly Hindus, dead, at least 10 incidents of killing that left 47 people dead, two incidents of rape and five incidents of abduction, loot, arson and other crimes between April 27 and November 15, 1971.
The tribunal asked the defence to place its submission tomorrow.