Closing arguments on charge hearing matter from both the prosecution and defence lawyers, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 set October 28 whether it would indict detained suspect 1971 Al Badr commander ATM Azharul Islam of Jamaat-e-Islami for his involvement in crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.
After hearing law-point arguments by defence counsel Barrister Abdur Razzaq and designated prosecutor AKM Saiful Islam, the three-member tribunal, headed by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, passed the order on Thursday.
On July 18 this year, the prosecution submitted six counts of formal charges before the tribunal accusing Azharul Islam of committing crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, including genocide, abduction, torture and rape.
A week after submitting the formal charge, the tribunal took cognisance of the charge against detained Jamaat-e-Islami assistant secretary general as it found a strong prima facie case against the accused under subsections 3(2) and 4(1)(2) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973.
According to the prosecution case, Azharul, the then Islami Chhatra Sangha (ICS) president of Rangpur district unit, had been involved in the killing of more than 1,200 innocent people in Rangpur during the Liberation War in collaboration with the Pakistan occupation army and its auxiliary forces.
It mentioned that Azharul had played a key role in the killing of intellectuals, cultural personalities, physicians and lawyers in different areas of Rangpur during the war.
On August 22 last year, police arrested Azharul at his Moghbazar house in the capital in connection with the war crimes case hours after the tribunal issued warrant against him following a prosecution plea.
Source: UNB Connect
