IO faces cross exam by defence counsel

The investigation officer (IO) of war crimes case against Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam said Sunday that during investigation he had made inquiries on the information he received, reports UNB.
"I inquired about the information, not of the informant who registered the complaint," said SM Idris Ali, the designated investigation officer (IO), while facing cross-examination by the defence counsel, A Sobhan Tarafder, before the International Crimes Tribunal-1.
Replying to a defence question, Idris told the tribunal he was aware of the provision under the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 Rules of Procedure that a copy of allegations has to be served upon the accused at the time of executing the warrant for his arrest.
Asked whether he served ATM Azhar the copy of the allegations made against him while issuing the warrant for his arrest, the IO said: "I didn't directly provide him with the copy of the allegations, but the content of the allegations was mentioned in the application submitted to the tribunal seeking issuance of warrant for his arrest through the prosecution.
The cross-examination, which remained inconclusive, will resume today (Monday).
Earlier, on June 15, while making his deposition, the IO revealed that Islami Chhatra Sangha (ICS), the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, had turned into Al Badr, a paramilitary killer force across besieged Bangladesh, which cracked down on the freedom loving, innocent and unarmed civilians, including the intellectuals, in collaboration with the Pakistan occupation army during the War of Liberation in 1971.
Accused ATM Azhar, a 1971 president of ICS Rangpur and also member of local Peace Committee (army collaborator), had emerged as district Al Badr Commander, said Idris Ali, adding that the accused had also turned Rangpur College Muslim students dormitory into a makeshift Al Badr torture centre during the entire wartime period.
On November 12, 2013, the tribunal had framed charges against ATM Azhar for his involvement in crimes against humanity, including genocide, during the War of Liberation, dismissing the discharge plea filed by the accused.
Also a leader of Jamaat, ATM Azhar 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 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, ATM Azhar had been involved in the killing of more than 1,200 unarmed innocent civilians in Rangpur during the War of Liberation in collaboration with the Pakistan occupation army.
It mentioned that ATM Azhar 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 ATM Azhar from his Moghbazar house in the city in connection with the war crimes case, hours after the tribunal issued a warrant for his arrest following a prosecution plea.