War Crimes Trial
Verdict in some cases in next 4 months
Hopes prosecutor
A prosecutor dealing with cases concerning war crimes committed during the 1971 Liberation War yesterday expressed hope that verdict in some of the cases will be handed down within the next four months.
“You can expect judgement in some of the cases by July or August if trial proceedings continue at the current pace,” said the prosecution team member Rana Dasgupta at a book launching programme.
Like the country's people, the prosecution too is looking forward to the trial proceedings as it is related to the country's past, present and future, he said.
“Instead of only keeping an eye on the trial proceedings, awareness must be raised among the masses in support of the trial,” he added.
Nine people including former and present Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and BNP lawmakers are facing charges of committing crimes against humanity in two International Crimes Tribunals formed to deal with the cases.
International Crimes Tribunal-1 is dealing with four cases against Jamaat ameers Delawar Hossain Sayedee and Motiur Rahman Nizami, former ameer Ghulam Azam and BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury.
The five cases against Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, Assistant Secretaries General Muhammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Molla, expelled member Abul Kalam Azad and former BNP lawmaker Abdul Alim is being handled by International Crimes Tribunal-2.
The prosecution completed recording deposition of witnesses in the case against Sayedee while recording of deposition of prosecution witnesses in the case against SQ Chowdhury is scheduled to start from today.
The decision on whether Ghulam Azam will be indicted will come on May 2.
The hearing on charge framing against Nizami, Mojaheed, Kamaruzzaman, Abdul Quader and Alim is going on.
An arrested warrant has been issued against Abul Kalam, who is now at large.
Speaking at the programme, Shahriar Kabir, executive president of Ekatturer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, urged the government to enact a law to prevent the distortion of the Liberation War's history.
The government should also enact a law which would make denial of genocide, committed during the Liberation War, a punishable offence, he said.
Projanmo 71 of Chittagong Division and Balaka Publication jointly organised the launching programme of a research based book, “Pramanno Dalil: Muktijuddhe Chattagram”, written by Prof Gazi Saleh Uddin at Liberation War Museum in the capital. Deputy Speaker of Parliament Col (retd) Shawkat Ali and historian Muntasir Mamun were present.
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