Witness presents incriminating documents

A prosecution witness yesterday presented three documents to the International Crimes Tribunal-2 to prove the anti-liberation role of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdus Subhan in 1971.
Anisur Rahman, librarian of the war crimes investigation agency, showed a list of Pabna Peace Committee members, another of the members of Pakistan national assembly and provincial assembly, elected in the 1971 by-poll, and the second report of the National People's Inquiry Commission on the activities of war criminals and collaborators of 1971.
The documents were collected from the investigation agency's library in July last year. Anisur is the 26th prosecution witness in Subhan's case.
According to the Peace Committee list, Subhan was its general secretary and later vice-chairman in Pabna, conducting prosecutor Sultan Mahmud Simon told The Daily Star yesterday. While the nation was engaged in a life-and-death battle, Subhan joined a by-election to the Pakistan National Assembly from Pabna and was elected uncontested, Simon said, adding that Subhan's name was on the list.
He said the name of Subhan and his alleged crimes were mentioned in the second report of People's Inquiry Commission, published on March 26, 1995.
After his testimony, the witness faced a brief cross-examination, during which he said he had no idea about the documents' authenticity. The tribunal adjourned the proceeding until today.
TRIBUNAL-1
Meanwhile, in the war crimes case against Jamaat leader ATM Azharul Islam, defence counsel Abdus Subhan Tarafder spent over two hours arguing over matters, settled by the two tribunals in different war crimes cases earlier.
At one stage, the tribunal asked the defence how these matters would help his client, but Subhan Tarafder kept on arguing.
On the third day of arguments, the counsel argued on the case diary of the investigation officer, supply of primary investigation report during the arrest of Azharul, and the Collaborators Act. The proceeding was adjourned until today.