War crimes trial

Verdict on ex-MP Shakhawat any day

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) will deliver its verdict any day in a case filed against nine people including former Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Shakhawat Hossain, now Jatiya Party central leader, for their alleged involvement in wartime offences.
After completing the arguments from both the prosecution and defence counsels, the three-member ICT bench headed by Justice Anwarul Haque kept the case as CAV, the abbreviation of Latin legal term ‘curia advisari vult,’ means reserving the verdict for a later time.
The nine are facing five charges for committing crimes committed in Jessore in 1971.
Among them, Shakhawat, a former lawmaker from Jessore, and Billal Hossain Biswas are in jail.
The six other accused -- Ibrahim Hossain, Sheikh Md Mujibur Rahman, Kazi Ohidul Islam, Aziz Sardar, Aziz Sardar and Abdul Khaleq Morol -- are on the run.
Another accused, Lutfar Morol died of old age ailments in May this year when he was in police custody.
Prosecutor Rezia Sultana Chaman concluded her part on July 12. Though defence counsel Abdus Sattar Palowan started submitting his arguments on that day, he failed to wrap up and continued till yesterday. Senior prosecutor Zead al-Malum placed rebuttal after defence arguments.
The tribunal indicted the nine on December 24, 2015 on five charges of crimes against humanity they had allegedly committed in 1971 at different places in Keshabpur, Jessore.
The suspects face the charges of murders, raping, abduction, torture, confinement and arson attacks.
According to the prosecution, Shakhawat was the commander of Chingra Razakar camp during the war of independence and his 11 accomplices were its members.
A total of 17 prosecution witnesses including investigation officer Abdur Razzak Khan testified against the accused.
A Jamaat leader Shakhawat was elected MP from the Keshabpur constituency in 1991.
He had joined Bangladesh Nationalist Party afterwards and was elected MP from the same constituency on its ticket in the short-lived parliament of mid-February 1996.
BNP later expelled him and he had joined Ershad-led Jatiya Party and became its central leader.

War crimes trial

Verdict on ex-MP Shakhawat any day

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) will deliver its verdict any day in a case filed against nine people including former Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Shakhawat Hossain, now Jatiya Party central leader, for their alleged involvement in wartime offences. After completing the arguments from both the prosecution and defence counsels, the three-member ICT bench headed by Justice Anwarul Haque kept the case as CAV, the abbreviation of Latin legal term curia advisari vult, means reserving the verdict for a later time. The nine are facing five charges for committing crimes committed in Jessore in 1971. Among them, Shakhawat, a former lawmaker from Jessore, and Billal Hossain Biswas are in jail. The six other accused -- Ibrahim Hossain, Sheikh Md Mujibur Rahman, Kazi Ohidul Islam, Aziz Sardar, Aziz Sardar and Abdul Khaleq Morol -- are on the run. Another accused, Lutfar Morol died of old age ailments in May this year when he was in police custody. Prosecutor Rezia Sultana Chaman concluded her part on July 12. Though defence counsel Abdus Sattar Palowan started submitting his arguments on that day, he failed to wrap up and continued till yesterday. Senior prosecutor Zead al-Malum placed rebuttal after defence arguments. The tribunal indicted the nine on December 24, 2015 on five charges of crimes against humanity they had allegedly committed in 1971 at different places in Keshabpur, Jessore. The suspects face the charges of murders, raping, abduction, torture, confinement and arson attacks. According to the prosecution, Shakhawat was the commander of Chingra Razakar camp during the war of independence and his 11 accomplices were its members. A total of 17 prosecution witnesses including investigation officer Abdur Razzak Khan testified against the accused. A Jamaat leader Shakhawat was elected MP from the Keshabpur constituency in 1991. He had joined Bangladesh Nationalist Party afterwards and was elected MP from the same constituency on its ticket in the short-lived parliament of mid-February 1996. BNP later expelled him and he had joined Ershad-led Jatiya Party and became its central leader.