International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Monday again allowed adjournment of hearing pleas submitted by Mizanul Islam and another defence lawyer for detained war crimes accused former Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Ghulam Azam subject to paying Tk 5,000 as cost.
Tribunal chairman Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, flanked by two other members Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Anwarul Haque, passed the punitive order on the day scheduled for the hearing on defence summing up arguments in the Ghulam Azam case.
The tribunal also asked the defence counsel to deposit Tk 5,000 to the state coffer by Wednesday.
As the tribunal resumed Monday amid 48-hour shutdown enforced by the BNP-led 18–party alliance, Mizanul Islam and Emran Siddiq submitted the adjournment pleas through a junior defence counsel.
The prosecution side opposed the adjournment pleas on the ground of ‘personal difficulties’.
During the hearing on the adjournment petitions, the tribunal asked the junior defence counsel who submitted the identical adjournment pleas whether Mizanul Islam had paid Tk 1,000 as cost to the state coffer as ordered by it on March 12 for a similar plea.
In reply, the defence counsel said: “I’m not sure.”
The tribunal asked the counsel to make sure that Tk 1,000 due earlier is deposited along with the fresh Tk 5,000 and report within the deadline.
Source: UNB Connect
