A defence counsel for war crimes accused BNP MP Salauddin Quader Chowdhury on Wednesday accused the incumbent Awami League alliance government of abusing the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973 for the trial of the 1971 war criminals.
“The spirit of the ICT Act 1973 was to start at once the trial of the Bangladesh Liberation war criminals, but it has come into effect after an inordinate delay of long 40 years just to harass and oppress the political opponents,” said Ahsanul Huq Hena during his summing-up argument before the International Crimes Tribunal-1.
“Salauddin Quader has been made accused in the case for harassment and ruining his political career by reviving the dormant law making its rules of procedure after four decades without any reasonable explanation,” he said.
Delay in filing the case without any reasonable explanation raises doubt about the bonafide of the case, said Hena, adding that there is no time limit in filing a criminal case.
The defence counsel told the tribunal that the investigation officer (IO) of the case failed to ascertain the presence of his client in Rauzan and Chittagong during the 1971 Liberation War.
Mere submitting GR showing several case records filed in 1972 against Salauddin Quader, fortnightly secret police reports of SB disclosing Salauddin Quader’s injury in grenade attack in September 1971 in Chittagong and some newspaper clippings do not prove the presence of the accused, claimed Hena.
The IO of the case could not also prove by any statement of prosecution witness (PW) about the living of Salauddin Quader at his ancestral house ‘Goods Hill’ in port city Chittagong in 1971, said Hena, adding that the matter came to light through the evidence of other PWs which were nothing but ‘concocted stories’.
The defence summing-up arguments continued for the fourth day.
Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, chairman of the three-member tribunal, adjourned the trial for August 12 with a reminder asking the defence counsel to finish their summing-up arguments on that day.
BNP stalwart Salauddin Quader faces trial on 23 counts of charges under different provisions of section 3 (2) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973.
The charges include abduction and murdering civilians, collaborating with the Pakistani occupation army to kill and torture unarmed people, genocide, looting of valuables and torching of houses and other properties, persecuting people on religious and political grounds, and committing atrocities on Hindus in Chittagong district.
According to the charges, Salauddin Quader was involved in the killing of more than 200 people, including the much-talked-about killing of Nutan Chandra Singh, founder of Kundeshwari Oushadhalaya at Gahira in Rauzan, Chittagong.
Source: UNB Connect
