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Ghulam Azam's role was crucial

Prosecution tells war crimes tribunal

Staff Correspondent
Ghulam Azam is responsible for the crimes committed by the auxiliary forces of the Pakistani army during the Liberation War since he had control and influence over those forces, the prosecution said during its opening statement.
In the case against Ghulam Azam filed in connection with crimes against humanity, Chief Prosecutor Ghulam Arieff Tipoo yesterday told
International Crimes Tribunal-1, “He [Ghulam Azam] cannot avoid the responsibility of crimes [committed by auxiliary forces] as he had a role in the formation of the forces and in some cases he led the forces."
After framing five
charges against Ghulam Azam on May 13, the tribunal yesterday began the
trial against Ghulam Azam, who is regarded by many as an epitome of war crimes.
The tribunal indicted Ghulam Azam for committing crimes against humanity, including involvement in murder and torture of
unarmed people; and conspiracy, planning,incitement and complicity to commit genocide and crimes against humanity during the 1971 war.
The three-member tribunal led by its Chairman Justice Md Nizamul Huq fixed June 24 for recording the statement of first prosecution witness. It also asked the defence to submit the list of defence witnesses and documents on the same day.
The prosecution began reading out the 142-page opening statement around 10:30am and finished around 4:30pm.
The prosecution said Ghulam Azam played a key role in forming auxiliary forces including Shanti (peace) Committee, Razakar, Al Badr and Al Shams, Al-Mujahid forces which were responsible for mass killings during th e LiberationWar.
It claimed that Ghulam Azam had superior status over those forces.
It said with this superior status, Ghulam Azam used the auxiliary forces to help the Pakistani army commit massacres all over Bangladesh.
According to the war history, the Pakistani forces with the help of different political parties and the auxiliary forces killed 30 lakh people of Bangladesh and raped over two lakh women, the prosecution said.
Although Ghulam Azam claimed himself to be a "pardoned collaborator", the prosecution would place their evidence against this claim, prosecutorTipoo said.
The prosecution also said Ghulam Azam, the then ameer of East Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami, also provoked youths into joining the Razakar force and, according to some government documents, he administrated the oath taking ceremony of several Razakar teams.
Ghulam Azam was produced before the court yesterday. At one point of the proceedings, he was sentback to the prison cell of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University as he was