The war crimes tribunal will pass order on July 8 regarding whether to begin the trial of former Jatiya Party lawmaker engineer Mohammad Abdul Jabbar, from Mothbaria of Pirojpur, in absentia.
The accused, chairman of local unit of Peace Committee during the 1971 Liberation War, has been fugitive since 2009. After the prosecution had pressed five charges of crimes against humanity on May 10, the tribunal issued an arrest warrant against Jabbar on May 12.
The International Crimes Tribunal 1, led by its chairman M Enayetur Rahim, said yesterday that they would give an order on the matter tomorrow after appointing a state defence counsel.
Jabbar, 82, faces allegations of murder, genocide, forced conversion and looting during the war.
Meanwhile, during the hearing of a contempt issue involving the daily Kaler Kantho, the same tribunal was surprised when prosecutor Syed Haider Ali, the acting chief prosecutor, claimed that they were trying to settle the matter outside court. The tribunal asked: “What can be the settlement for contempt?”
On May 22, prosecutor Mohammad Ali pleaded that the tribunal issue a contempt of court charge against the newspaper’s editor, publisher and a reporter for defaming him by publishing distorted versions of his comments in a story.
After a hearing, the tribunal set May 28 for the order. It also told the prosecutor that the matter could be solved outside the court. But Ali was firm in his position. He also said Haider Ali would place arguments on the issue.
However, Haider Ali did not appear before the tribunal because of “illness.”
During yesterday’s hearing, Haider Ali said they were fixing the issue. Later the tribunal set August 31 for the order on the contempt matter.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
