The International Crimes Tribunal-1 came down on Sunday heavily on the designated investigator who had inquired into the happenings in Rangpur during the 1971 liberation war, raising a question about his professional sincerity, reports UNB.
The tribunal expressed its displeasure as to how an investigation officer (IO), who deals with the four decades-old war crimes, could collect documents and evidence relating to all the allegations made against an accused by merely visiting Rangpur on a couple of days.
Even the IO did not refer to any book published on the war in Rangpur over its 'Town Hall' that had been turned into a makeshift army torture centre for Bangalee young men and females, observed the tribunal.
Terming a big incident the atrocities at Rangpur Town Hall in 1971, the tribunal further expressed view that a series of documents remained unearthed over the atrocities perpetrated by the Pakistan army and their collaborators.
It appears that more evidence over the matter should have been placed
in this connection, said the tribunal, terming callousness in the investigation on Rangpur Town Hall.
The tribunal came up with its views when the designated prosecutor Barrister Tapos K Baul made his summing up-arguments on charge No. 5 made against detained accused ATM Azharul Islam, a 1971 Al Badr commander.
As the prosecutor apparently tried to establish the charge No. 5 mostly by hearsay witnesses (PWs) with one female prosecution witness, a Birangana (war victim), the tribunal interrupted him and said it's unusual as all the PWs selected from outside Rangpur made evidence on Town Hall atrocities.
"Why the IO could not produce any PW who lived in the town in 1971?" the tribunal questioned.
In reply, prosecutor Tapos Baul admitted the limitations of the prosecution in this connection, saying "the prosecution could not collect all the required material evidence despite hard efforts due to the very old event that passed four decades."
Besides, he said, it was a very difficult task for the part of the prosecution to find PWs as they usually were reluctant to provide evidence apprehending fear or future harassment.
