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Homemade meals for Ghulam Azam

ICT gives nod

Staff Correspondent
The International Crimes Tribunal yesterday permitted homemade meals for former Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Ghulam Azam in his prison cell at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.
The prosecution yesterday completed their arguments in the hearing on charge framing against Ghulam Azam in the case filed in connection with crimes against humanity.
Endorsing a petition filed by the former Jamaat chief, the three-member tribunal headed by Justice
Md Nizamul Huq said the hospital authority must examine the food before giving it to Ghulam Azam.
Azam, 89, is facing 62 specific charges of crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.
The former Jamaat ameer, one of the front men who actively helped the Pakistani military's attempts to foil the birth of Bangladesh, was moved to BSMMU on January 11 after he was denied bail in the case.
The tribunal in its order yesterday said Ghulam Azam might be allowed home-cooked meals considering his physical condition and old age. It said there was no legal bar to prevent somebody, who is not convicted, from receiving homemade meals.
The tribunal also said no question could be raised against the hospital authority or the jail authorities if the Ghulam Azam's health
deteriorated after taking homemade meals.
Abdur Razzaq, counsel of Ghulam Azam, however asked for modifying this condition of the order.
The tribunal then said it would modify this portion of the order later on.
Ghulam Azam submitted the petition to the tribunal in the second week of February seeking its permission to allow him to have homemade meals. He had said that the hospital authorities were not giving him sufficient and suitable food. He has been suffering from different physical complications, including old-aged related ailments, stated the petition.
After the hearing on the petition, the tribunal on March 5 fixed yesterday for passing order.
Meanwhile, the prosecution yesterday completed placing their arguments in the hearing on charge framing against Ghulam Azam in connection with his involve-
ment in crimes against humanity.
Making his argument, Prosecutor Zead Al Malum told the tribunal that Ghulam Azam was individually and jointly responsible for committing crimes against humanity in 1971 due to his superior status among the anti-liberation forces.
Citing different media reports at home and abroad during the Liberation War, Malum said Ghulam Azam could take part in several high-profile meetings, including with the then Pakistan president Yahya Khan and East Pakistan military administrator Tikka Khan due to his top position.
Besides his personal involvement in the crimes, responsibility of atrocities committed by other auxil-iary forces (Peace Committee, Razakars, Al Badr and Al Shams) of the Pakistani occupation forces during the war fall on his shoulders as he was the
ameer of East Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami, said Malum.
In the formal charges, the prosecution brought six counts against Ghulam Azam for conspiring with the Pakistani occupation forces to commit crimes against humanity. Three counts were for planning to commit crimes and atrocities, 28 counts were for incitement, 24 counts for complicity, and one specific charge for murder and torture during the Liberation War.
Malum pleaded that the tribunal frame charges against Ghulam Azam as per relevant sections of the International Crimes (TYi-bunals) Act.
The defence counsel will place their arguments before the tribunal on March 12.
QUADER'S HEARING DEFERRED
The tribunal yesterday deferred the hearing on charge framing against
another Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Quader Molla until today.
The tribunal deferred the date following an adjournment petition from defence counsels. On March 5, the tribunal had deferred the hearing until yesterday.
The defence counsels filed the four-week adjournment petition on March 1 as they could not complete preparations and did not get all the documents from the prosecution.
The tribunal said it would fix a date for the defence counsels to place their arguments in this regard after the prosecution complete placing their arguments today.
The tribunal also permitted two counsels of Quader Molla, an assistant secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami, to meet their client in jail between 10:00am and 1:00pm on March 10.
It also verbally ordered the prosecution to provide the required documents to the defence.