Tuesday was scheduled for the remaining defence’s closing arguments in the Ghulam Azam case, being tried on charges of crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.
As the tribunal had resumed amid daylong hartal enforced by the BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance to press home their various demands, Raihan Uddin, a junior defence lawyer, submitted the adjournment plea for the day on the ground of ‘personal difficulty’ on behalf of the principal counsel.
Appearing before the three-member tribunal, headed by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, Barrister Abdur Razzzaq, apparently looked distressed, termed the tribunal order unwarranted as he could not attend it to continue the summing-up arguments in the Ghulam Azam case due to what he said personal difficulty.
It is impossible for the defence counsel to close the summing-up arguments by Thursday as asked by the tribunal, said Razzaq. If the defence counsel is compelled to close arguments within the deadline, his client will be seriously prejudiced and suffer irreparable losses, he said.
Barrister Razzaq also prayed for extending the time by two more days for summing up the defence arguments.
Opposing the defence plea, prosecutor Sultan Mahmud Simon termed the plea not in the interest of justice and said there is no provision of recalling tribunal’s order under the ICT Act and its rules. “So, the plea is liable to be rejected.”
After hearing both sides on the defence plea, the tribunal fixed Thursday for order in this regard.