DHAKA: The belated trial of war crimes of 1971 opened Sunday as the prosecutors’ panel submitted petition to the International Crimes Tribunal for putting the detained four top Jamaat-e-Islami leaders in the dock first.
After doing the spadework for quite a long time, the International Crimes Tribunal for holding the trial after the lapse of nearly four decades started its judicial function Sunday.
The tribunal fixed Monday for hearing the petition after three prosecutors of the seven-member panel led by Jehed Al Malum submitted the petition to Tribunal Registrar Shahinul Islam at 10am with the plea for showing the four arrested on specific charges of ‘crime against humanity’ during the Bangladesh Liberation War.
The suspects are Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary-General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, and assistant secretaries-general Mohammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Mollah.
Later, Shahinul Islam told journalists that the investigation agency of the tribunal also started its work as per a complaint petition (No. 1, 21/07/2010).
Chief prosecutor of the panel Golam Arif Tipu also told journalists that the petition was filed with the tribunal “so that the investigation agency can work properly, the arrested Jamaat-e-Islami leaders cannot flee and obstruct the trial anyway”.
As per section 3(2) of the International Crimes Tribunal Act 1973, the petition was submitted in order to allow investigation into the crimes, he said.
Tipu also told banglanews24.com.bd, “Under the Tribunal Act allegations of crimes against humanity, including genocide, killings, looting, rape, torching and vandalism, can be filed. Besides, appeal for arresting the accused in this regard can also be made.”
Patrol Inspector of Ramna Zone SM Imanul Haque told banglanews24.com.bd that the security system was tightened ahead of the start of the tribunal’s judicial function in war-crime trial.
“Additional police forces have been deployed in and outside the Tribunal,” he said about the protection shield built up for the judges, lawyers and investigators engaged in a most crucial task in the nation’s history.
Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary-General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and Nayeb-e-Ameer Delwar Hossain Sayedee were arrested on June 29 on charges of hurting religious sentiments of Muslims through their blasphemous comments.
Later, party assistant secretaries-general Mohammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Mollah were arrested from the High Court gate on July 13 in a murder-and-arson case filed with Pallabi thana by an injured freedom fighter in January 2008.
Justice Nizamul Huq Nasim is leading the special court as its chairman with Justice ATM Fazle Kabir and retired district judge AKM Jahir Ahmed as its members in the trial process fraught with high political implications.
A tribunal member, on condition of anonymity, said investigation officers have already handed over to the tribunal the records of war-crime cases filed against them with Pirojpur, and capital’s Pallabi and Keraniganj police stations.
Mozaffar Ahmad Khan, Dhaka district-unit Muktijoddha commander, on December 17, 2007 filed a case with Keraniganj thana against Jamaat Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary-General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and seven of their party men on charge killing two freedom fighters during the liberation war.
As per the case statement, the killing of Osman Gani and Golam Mostafa took place on November 25 in 1971.
Nizami was made Al-Badr commander of Pakistan while Mojaheed acted as commander of its East Pakistan wing, said the complainant, adding that Quader and Quamruzzaman and their other cohorts also formed the higher rung of Al-Badr.
The case filed for ’71 genocide at Alokdi village in Pallabi was sent to the war-crime tribunal. Freedom fighter Amir Hossain Mollah filed the case on January 24, 2008 with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate`s Court.
Amir Hossain in the case statement named Nizami, Mojaheed, Kamaruzzaman, Quader Molla and others as suspects in the killing of “345 people” in Mirpur during the Liberation War.
BDST: 1500HRS, JULY 25, 2010
