Former FBCCI President Salman F Rahman will not testify in the war crimes trial for the BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, the defence counsel has said.
So, Salauddin Quader’s lawyer Fakhrul Islam has proposed former diplomat Abdul Momen Chowdhury as the new witness before the tribunal to replace Rahman.
The International Crimes Tribunal-1, headed by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, also ordered the new witness to appear before it within 12pm Wednesday.
The court said it would close hearing and witnesses would not be able testify once the time ended. The tribunal earlier allowed the defence, which has failed to produce witnesses for defending Salauddin Quader, to produce two listed witnesses by Wednesday.
“This has been done in the interest of justice,” tribunal Chairman Justice Fazle Kabir observed. “But, the defence will not get more of these in future.”
Earlier, Fakhrul told the court that the fourth witness for Salauddin Quader, Salman F Rahman was in Makkah and scheduled to return on July 28.
So, he appealed to be allowed to produce Salman after the Eid.
Regarding the fifth witness, High Court Judge Justice Shamim Hasnain, Fakhrul said, “The honourable Justice has already come to the tribunal and sought permission from the Chief Justice to testify. But, he is yet to get it.”
Prosecutor Zead-Al-Malum, after the Tuesday’s order, told reporters, “ The defence counsel has committed falsehood. We found out that Salman F Rahman is in the country.”
He claimed Fakhrul committed contempt of court using religious sentiments while addressing the court and demanded punishment against him.
The rest of the five witnesses have already recorded their testimonies with the court in the case.
They are former judge Justice Mainur Reza Chowdhury’s brother and trustee board member of Asia Pacific University Qayum Reza Chowdhury and Nizam Ahmed, Salauddin Quader’s university friend.
Salauddin Quader has been testifying as the first defence witness since June 17.
During the hearing, the BNP MP mentioned Salman Rahman, Bangladesh’s top industrialist and also an advisor to Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, as his ‘first cousin’.
Salman has also contested the parliamentary polls as an Awami League candidate.
SQ Chy in ICT
The prosecution submitted formal charges against Salauddin Quader on Nov 14, 2011 and the tribunal took them into cognisance three days later.
A former prime ministerial adviser on parliamentary affairs when BNP chief Khaleda Zia was in office, the Chittagong MP was shown arrested for war crimes charges on Dec 20, 2010, five days after his arrest.
The investigating agency submitted a 119-page report with around 8,000-page data to the chief prosecutor on Oct 3 in a bid to prove allegations of war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War.
The BNP leader was indicted on Apr 4 on 23 counts of war crimes.
Source: Bd news24
