Apparently winding up the war crimes case against Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam, the prosecution on Monday presented seizure-list witnesses before the International Crimes Tribunal-1.
PW–14 M Sajal Mahmud, a constable, attached with designated investigation officer SM Idris Ali, told the tribunal that on May 3, 2012, a seizure-list was prepared with its photocopy along with the facsimile documents containing the fortnightly police report and police abstract.
The PW came up with the information while testifying against Azharul, an accused 1971 commander of Al Badr, a vigilante group of Jamaat-e-Islami during the Libration War.
The deposition over, the PW was cross-examined by defence counsel Abdus Sobhan Tarafder.
Replying to the defence questions, constable Sajal said he had no idea about the origin of the seizure-list and how the documents containing in it was prepared.
“Although I don’t know the content of the seizure-list, but I came to know the name of accused ATM Azhatul Islam in the fortnightly police report.
The three–member tribunal, headed by Justice M Enayetur Rahim, adjourned the trial proceeding for Wednesday (May 28).
On November 12, 2013, the tribunal framed charges against ATM Azharul Islam, a commander of 1971 Al Badr, for his involvement in crimes against humanity, including genocide, during the Liberation War, dismissing the discharge plea filed by the accused.
Also a leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, Azharul faces six counts of charges of crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War like killing, abduction, confinement, torture, loot, arson, rape and genocide in Rangpur district.
A week after submitting the formal charge by the prosecution, the tribunal on July 25 took cognisance of the charge against the 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 unarmed innocent civilians in Rangpur during the Liberation War in collaboration with the Pakistan occupation army and its auxiliary force like Al Badr.
It mentioned that Azharul Islam had played a key role in the killing of intellectuals, cultural personalities, physicians and lawyers in different areas of Rangpur during the 1971 war.
On August 22, 2012, police arrested Azharul from his Moghbazar house in the capital in connection with the war crimes case, hours after the tribunal issued a warrant for his arrest following a prosecution plea.
Source: UNBconnect
