Nizami made accused for doing politics

A defence lawyer yesterday said Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami was accused of war crimes for his involvement with the political party as the allegations arose right after he joined politics in 1986.
All the books submitted by the prosecution against Nizami were also written after 1986, Mizanul Islam told International Crimes Tribunal-1 while placing closing arguments on the first day.
The prosecution completed theirs on Wednesday seeking capital punishment for Nizami's alleged involvement in 16 genocide and crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.
He said cross-examination revealed that the investigation officer had no idea about the Pakistani occupation army's auxiliary forces while the prosecution's documents had differing information on formation of Razakar and Al-Badr.
The proceeding of the case was adjourned until March 19.
Meanwhile, International Crimes Tribunal-2 adjourned cross-examination of Qazi Kabiruddin, the first prosecution witness in the case against Syed Mohammad Qaisar, until March 19 following his counsel's prayer.
Abdus Sobhan Tarafder issued the prayer citing health ailments after resuming the cross-examination for the third day.
The three-member tribunal headed by Justice Obaidul Hassan adjourned the case proceeding around 12:15pm and asked Sobhan to complete Kabiruddin's cross-examination within lunch on March 19.
Qaisar, a state minister of the HM Ershad regime, is facing 16 charges for his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity and genocide committed in Habiganj and Brahmanbaria during the nine-month Liberation War in 1971.