Decision on Ghulam Azam’s indictment April 17
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday fixed April 17 to decide whether it would indict former Jamaat-e-Islami chief Ghulam Azam on 62 charges of crimes against humanity that he allegedly committed during the 1971 Liberation War.
If indicted, Ghulam Azam will face trial at the tribunal which was formed to deal with such crimes.
The three-judge tribunal headed by Justice Md Nizamul Huq fixed the date after both prosecution and defence presented their arguments over the charges.
The 89-year-old, arrested on January 11, was produced before the court yesterday.
The formal charges accuse Ghulam Azam of planning to commit atrocities, incitement, complicity and murder. They also say that he had exclusive control over the auxiliary forces, including the peace committee, Al Badr and Al Shams, which were formed to oppose Bangladesh's liberation.
The chief defence counsel, Abdur Razzaq, argued that Razakar, Al Badr and Al Shams, among other fronts, were organised by Jamaat and Islami Chhatra Sangha, its student front.
So these were not auxiliary forces as the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act of 1973 says that auxiliary forces are those which are directly under the control of the Pakistani army, he said.
Prosecutor Zead Al Malum, in his counter arguments, said the Pakistan central government had issued a gazette in 1971 certifying Razakar, Al Badr and Al Shams as auxiliary forces of the Pakistani army.
This gazette was read out by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as opposition leader in 1992 in Parliament, urging the government to try Ghulam Azam and the other collaborators, he said.
Presenting the statement Sheikh Hasina read out that day and submitting a copy to the tribunal, Malum said defence had failed to substantiate their appeal for discharging Ghulam Azam.
He said defence did not mention the whereabouts and activities of Ghulam Azam and the activities of Jamaat-e-Islami from March 25 to December 16, 1971.
Malum quoted Ghulam Azam, in an interview published in an online news portal, as saying, “We had tried to save the people of the country by forming the (auxiliary) forces.”
“Does this statement leave any room for suspicion about his involvement in forming the Razakar (and other auxiliary) forces?” he questioned.
He appealed to the tribunal to frame the charges, saying that sufficient documents and evidence were submitted to the court for the indictment.
Hearing on charge framing against Kamaruzzaman deferred
Earlier in the day, the tribunal deferred till April 1 the hearing on charge framing against Muhammad Kamaruzzaman who is facing nine charges of crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War.
The tribunal fixed the date following an adjournment petition from the defence, who said that they were not prepared to give arguments against the charges.
After hearing the defence's arguments, the tribunal will decide whether to indict Kamaruzzaman.
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