SQ Chy asked to finish by Wednesday

Hearing the long deposition of war crimes accused Salauddin Quader Chowdhury for five days, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday asked him to finish his testimony by Wednesday.
“The lives of politicians are eventful. Their speeches won't stop even if they are given months after months,” said Tribunal-1 Chairman Justice ATM Fazle Kabir.
The BNP lawmaker, however, refused to comply with the tribunal's verbal order by saying, “This is a highly political trial … I can't be helpful if you ask me to complete it [disposition] in two days.”
Mentioning that the deposition Salauddin had given so far would not be helpful for his defence, Justice Kabir again asked him to shorten his deposition and keep it on the charges framed against him.
“I can't make it short,” Salauddin said reiterating his claim that he was being tried for his father's role during the Liberation War.
The tribunal reassured him that he was not being tried for his father AKM Fazlul Quader Chowdhury's role during the war.
Since June 17, Salauddin, as the first defence witness in the crimes against humanity case against him, has been testifying and speaking largely about his family, his father, his beliefs, perceptions, and anecdotes on British rule, contribution of Muslim intellectuals in the subcontinent, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and the country's political situation during the last caretaker government rule.
Facing objections from the prosecution that his deposition was immaterial to the war crimes charges against him, Salauddin claimed that everything that he had said was important to prove him innocent.
Yesterday morning, Salauddin narrated how politicians were “persecuted” during the tenure of caretaker government regime that came to power after the January 11, 2007, change over, popularly known as 1/11.
“The collaborators of this unholy enterprise were the ambitious members of the mercenary class who felt marginalised by the democratic constitutional process,” he said, adding that the class included a section of the media, a section of the civil and military bureaucrats and some jurists of questionable integrity.
“The media syndicate was led by an editor of a rag sheet popularly known as The Delhi Star,” he said, adding that the jurists supporting the 1/11 regime were led by an eminent constitutional expert.
In the afternoon session, prosecutor Sultan Mahmud Simon drew the attention of the tribunal by saying that the witness might have misspoken and said “The Delhi Star” instead of “The Daily Star”.
Salauddin then said it was indeed The Delhi Star and therefore the court record of his deposition was correct and that he is cautious when he talks about sensitive matters.
Defending himself, the war crimes accused said, “The current persecution of populist leaders is only a continuation of similar objectives pursued by 1/11 bandits, for example, barring populist politicians from contesting in elections.”
Mentioning that the International Crimes Tribunal Act, 1973, was enacted by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Salauddin said the current parliament, by amending the act in 2009, superseded Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The proceeding of the case was adjourned until today.