Nizami verdict any day

Motiur Rahman Nizami. Star file photo

A tribunal in Dhaka will deliver its verdict any day in the war crime case against Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami as the trial proceedings concluded today.
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT) headed by its chairman Justice M Enayetur Rahim kept the case waiting for verdict after both the prosecution and the defence concluded their submissions.  
In the closing arguments, the prosecution appealed to the three-member panel to hand the Jamaat leader capital punishment for his crimes against humanity during the liberation war of the country.
While the defence sought his acquittal claiming that the prosecutors have failed to prove the charges brought against Nizami.
The tribunal earlier on November 13 kept the case waiting for verdict any day. However, it faced some changes in the schedule after the chairman post of Tribunal-1 fell vacant on December 31 last year as Justice ATM Fazle Kabir went into retirement.
The government on February 23 appointed Justice Rahim, a High Court judge, as chairman of the ICT-1 who decided to take some fresh arguments from both the prosecution and the defence on the trial.

CHARGES

The charges against Nizami are:
1. Causing arrest, detention, torture and murder of three victims including head moulana of Pabna Zilla School Kasim Uddin on June 4, 1971.
2. Conspired to commit crimes, and caused murders of 450 people, rape of 30-40 women and deportation of villagers of Baousgari, Ruposhi and Demra in Pabna on May 14.
3. Complicity in torture, murder and rape committed at Mohammadpur Physical Training Institute.
4. Complicity in murders, rapes, loot and destruction of property committed at Karamja village in Pabna on May 8.
5. Complicity in murder of 21 unarmed villagers of Arpara and Vutergari under Ishwardi Police Station on April 16.
6. Involved in and responsible for murder of 30 people of Dhulaura village on November 27.
7. Complicity in torture and murder of Sohrab Ali on December 3.
8. Committed the crime of murder of Bodi, Rumi, Jewel and Azad at the old MP hostel on August 30.
9. Committed the crime of genocide by killing about 70 Hindus of  Brishalikha village on December 3.
10. Involvement in destroying the house of Onil Chandra Kundu.
11. Giving inciting speech on August 3 during a meeting of Islami Chhatra Sangha held at the Muslim Institute Chittagong.
12. Giving inciting speech on August 22 at a meeting organised in remembrance of Al Madani held at the Islamic Academy Hall.
13. Giving inciting speech on September 8 on the occasion of the defence day at the Arts Building premises organised by Dhaka city unit of Chhatra Sangha.
14. Giving inciting speech addressing Razakars of Jessore On September 10.
15. Committed conspiracy, and
16. Committed genocide to eliminate intellectuals and professionals.