International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) judge ATM Fazle Kabir, who led the trial of Ghulam Azam, Delwar Hossain Sayeedee and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury for war crimes, has retired.
He was bid farewell on Tuesday, his last working day.
Kabir was heading the ICT-2 that awarded sentences to former Jamaat-e-Islam chief Ghulam Azam, party stalwart Delwar Hossain Sayeedee and BNP Standing Committee member Salauddin Quader Chowdhury for war crimes.
At the farewell function, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam recollected the judgment Kabir gave on 15th constitutional amendment case as a High Court judge.
Kabir was made ICT-1 judge in 2010 and then Chairman of ICT-2 when it was constituted. Later, he replaced the first tribunal chief Justice Md Nizamul Huq who quit over Skype scandal.
Kabir expressed the hope that trial of war criminals would continue.
“I accomplished a part of the trial. The trial will continue. Someone will replace me. He will discharge the responsibility.”
He said after taking over as the ICT judge he had got frustrated at one stage.
“I was doubtful whether I would be able to accomplish my task. I thought what would people say if I could not properly carry out the responsibilities. Today I can say that I could do something.”
Kabir said in first one and a half years, there was not much work at the tribunal. “The work was confined merely to going and coming from office. The trial process started at the beginning of 2012.”
The ICT-2 led by Kabir awarded death sentences to Sayeedi and Salauddin and 90 years’ imprisonment to Ghulam Azam for their involvement in war crimes during Bangladesh’s Liberation War.
Source: Bd news24
