Now wait for verdict

The long list of war crimes cases waiting for verdict delivery has become a little longer as a tribunal yesterday drew conclusion to the case against Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam.
Now, six verdicts are pending with the two international crimes tribunals.  
The number might become seven soon as defence witnesses are now being examined in the war crimes case against Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer Abdus Subhan.
The Tribunal-1 Chairman Justice M Enayetur Rahim yesterday said, “Thank you [the prosecution and the defence]. The tribunal has been keeping the cases on CAV [Curia advisari vult, a Latin legal term meaning the court would consider the matter], by tradition. We are keeping it on CAV.”
Prosecutor Tureen Afroz claimed that they were able to prove all the charges and addressed the legal aspects including single witness, hearsay evidence, joint command responsibility upon which defence failed to cast any shadow of doubt.
“We pray before the tribunal to hand him the capital punishment … .” she said, adding that the accused be made to compensate a rape victim.
Defence counsel Shishir Manir countered prosecution's arguments and prayed for acquittal of Azharul.
Alleged Al-Badr commander of Rangpur ATM Azharul Islam was indicted on six charges of murder, genocide and crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War in 1971.

The former president of Rangpur district unit Islami Chhatra Sangha, the then student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, was charged with two acts of genocide that left more than 1,200 people dead.
The 61-year-old Jamaat assistant secretary general was also charged with torture, looting, arson, abduction, rape, mass killing and conspiracy to kill unarmed civilians in Rangpur.
Azharul, son of late Nazir Hossain and Ramicha Khatun of Batasan Lohanipara in Badarganj upazila of Rangpur, was a student of Rangpur Carmichael College during the war.
The prosecution produced 19 witnesses and the defence brought in just one witness.
THE CHARGES
1.    Abduction, confinement, torture and murder of Durgadas Adhikari and seven other civilians between March 24 and April 3, 1971.
2.    Massacre at Mokshedpur Dhap Para adjacent areas on April 16 during the war.
3.    Massacre at Jharuarbeel area and killing around 1,400 unarmed civilians on April 17, 1971.
4.    Abduction and murder of four Hindu teachers of Carmichael College and others on April 30 during the war.
5.    Rape at Rangpur Town Hall between March 25 and December 16, 1971.
6.    Torture on Shawkat Hossain and Rafiqul Hasan between November and December 1, 1971.