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War Crimes Trial

Contempt petition filed against Sajeda

Staff Correspondent
Defence counsels of Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah have filed a contempt of court petition against Deputy Leader of Parliament Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury for allegedly making statements allegedly disrespecting the international crimes tribunals.
The Internation Crimes Tribunal-2 — the second of two courts formed to deal with crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War — yesterday fixed August 27 for hearing the petition.
Tajul Islam, a defence counsel, told The Daily Star that the petition had been filed on the basis of a report published in Bangla daily Amar Desh on July 28.
According to the report, Sajeda at a programme the day before said Razakars had not followed any law while committing crimes against humanity in 1971 and so, laws were not needed to be followed in trying them.
One or two of those charged with war crimes should be hanged to prevent them from taking advantage of loopholes in the legal process, the report quoted heras saying.
Such statements at the time of his (Quader Mollah) trial amount to a clear and direct interference in the court proceedings, Tajul observed.
Tribunal Chairman Justice ATM Fazle Kabir with other two members Justice Obaidul Hassan and Judge Md Shahinur Islam began the court proceedings at 10:40am yesterday. Abdur Razzaq, chief of defence counsels of Jamaat leaders detained on war crimes charges, drew the judges' attention to the petition and sought a date for its hearing.
Setting the date, the court proceeded to record the cross-examination of Shafiuddin Mollah, the sixth prosecution witness in the case against Quader Mollah.
Defence counsel Abdus Sobhan Tarafder asked Shafiuddin some 150 questions in more than two and a half hours. The queries mostly centred around the location of Alubdi village where, according to the witness' testimony, the Jamaat leader had been involved in mass killings during 1971.
On August 1, Shafiuddin in his testimony said Quader Mollah on April 24,1971 had participated in the killing of 360-370 Bangalees at Alubdi in Pallabi of Dhaka. Hiding in the bush, he had seen the Jammat leader fire on the people of Alubdi, Shafiuddin said.
The incident is false and fabricated, the defence claimed during the cross-examination.
Shafiuddin rejected the claim.
Abdus Sobhan at 1:05pm said he would require two to three more hours to complete the cross-examination. In response, the tribunal said it would regulate the time of cross-examination.
When the court proceedings ended at 1:30pm, the tribunal said the defence would get half an hour today to complete the cross-examination.
Quader Mollah, who is facing six charges of crimes against humanity at the tribunal, was produced before the court yesterday.
CASES AGAINST NIZAMI AND SAYEDEE
Meanwhile, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday deferred to August 26 the recording of deposition of the first witness in the war crimes case against Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami.
It made the decision as it
had to complete the cross-examination of Helal Uddin, investigation officer of a case against another Jamaat leader DelawarHossainSayedee.
Last Thursday, the tribunal in an order asked the defence counsel to complete the cross-examination by Wednesday.
Sayedee's counsel cross-examined Helal Uddin yesterday for the 43rd day.
The tribunal also ordered the prosecution to submit a report on Sayedee's physical condition, mentioning that he had not been produced before it for the last seven weeks.
The Tribunal-1 Chairman Justice Md Nizamul Huq asked the prosecution to inform the tribunal of whether Sayedee would be able to climb up the stairs to attend the court proceedings. If Sayedee needed a wheel-chair, he would be provided with one, thejustice added.
The court then adjourned until today.
Nizami and Sayedee are facing 16 and 20 charges of crimes against humanity.