ICT-1 unhappy over defence cross-exam in Azharul trial
Friday, 7 March 2014
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) Thursday expressed its dissatisfaction over the defence modus operandi of cross-examination of the prosecution witness (PW) against the war crimes accused as it lingers the trial proceedings, reports UNB.
Referring to the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973, its Rules of Procedure ensuring speedy trial and the latest judgment on the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court while resolving executed war crimes convict Jamaat-e-Islami leader Quader Mollah case restricting contradiction, the tribunal said that the way the cross-examination takes place is nothing but wasting time only.
During the cross-examinations of the two prosecution witnesses, the tribunal time and again interrupted Abdus Sobhan Tarafder, the defence counsel for detained accused ATM Azharul Islam, a 1971 Rangpur Commander of Al Badr, a vigilante group of Jamaat-e-Islami, and asked him to cross-examine the PW based on reason.
At one stage, pointing at both the defence and the prosecution, the tribunal sought cooperation from the counsel both sides in dispensation of justice. "Don't waste time, no irrelevant question will be allowed," cautioned the tribunal.
Meanwhile, the defence counsel closed the cross-examination of Prosecution Witness (PW-2) M Mostafa Miah, a Liberation War hero and husband of a Birangana (Liberation War heroine) who had been allegedly gang raped by three occupation Pakistan army men and their associate ATM Azharul Islam during the 1971 Liberation War, and PW-3 Mukhlesar Rahman Sarker remained inconclusive.
On November 12 last year, the tribunal dismissed the discharge plea filed by the accused and 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.
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.