The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Sunday reproached the investigation officer for referring to a bundle of books submitted to it without proper scrutiny to prove the charges made against war crimes accused Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami.
“Why did you seize the books as those are of no use to prove the charges made against the accused during the cross-examination?” said the tribunal, apparently irked.
Pointing at IO ASP Abdur Razzaq Khan in the witness box, the tribunal referring to the related books said: “You’ve already admitted during defence cross-examination that the name of the accused committing crimes against humanity in 1971 remained absent. Then why did you refer to the books?”
“You’ve seized the books for nothing and it amounts to harassing the tribunal and killing time as well,” observed the tribunal.
In reply, the IO kept mum apparently admitting his futile exercise.
During the defence cross-examination IO Razzaq, also the last prosecution witness, admitted that the seized books titled ‘Sunset at Midday’ written by Mohiuddin Ahmed and another titled ‘Pakistan between Mosque and Military’ authored by Hussain Haqqani did not mention the name of accused Nizami being involved in the 1971 crimes against humanity.
Meanwhile, defence counsel Mizanul Islam failed to comply with the tribunal’s order to finish the cross-examination by today (Sunday).
As the cross-examination remained incomplete, the tribunal expressing its disappointment said: “You (Mizanul) are not taking the matter seriously as if you don’t have any effort to complete the cross-examination despite many a reminder.”
In reply, defence counsel Mizanul Islam conveying his lack of ability said: ”My Lord, I’m trying.”
Considering the state of affairs, the tribunal again asked him to complete the cross-examination by the first-half tomorrow (Monday).
Before rising for the sixth day of cross-examination, the tribunal allowed the defence counsel to examine four defence witnesses out of the list of 25.
A former minister during the past BNP-Jamaat rule, Nizami is being tried on charges of involvement in murders and torture of unarmed people along with hatching conspiracy, planning, incitement and complicity to commit genocide and crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War in collaboration with the Pakistan occupation army.
Also the president of Islami Chhatra Sangha (ICS), the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami in 1971, Nizami faces 16 counts of charges based on 16 separate incidents of crimes against humanity, in which at least 600 unarmed people were killed and 31 women raped during the Liberation War.
On May 28, 2012, the tribunal indicted the Jamaat ameer for committing the 1971 crimes against humanity.
On June 29, 2010, Nizami was arrested in front of the National Press Club after a magistrate court in Dhaka issued warrant of arrest in connection with a criminal case over hurting religious sentiment of Muslims. Later he was shown arrested in connection with the war crimes case.
Source: UNBConnect