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Sued in 1972, but he prevailed

Staff Correspondent
Six cases were filed against Salauddin Quader Chowdhury soon after independence for his involvement in murders, arson, looting, robbery and atrocities, but no legal headway was seen after 1975.
One of the six cases, all filed with Raozan police, was in connection with the killing of Nutan Chandra Singha. Salauddin was the second prime accused in the case filed on January 29,1972.
On March 3, 1972, leader of Gohira union unit Awami League Mossaber Ahmed Chowdhury filed another case under the Bangladesh Collaborators Order for the atrocities and killings of unarmed people. In the charge sheet, Salauddin, who fled from Bangladesh in September 1971, was shown as an absconding accused.
The other four cases were filed against the war crimes convict between March and April in 1972 in connection with murders, confinement, arson and looting.
Salauddin went to Pakistan during the war and returned to Bangladesh in 1974.
He became active in politics in 1978. Everything was going on in his favour until the incumbent government decided to try the war criminals and formed two international crimes tribunals to that end.
According to the prosecution, Nutan Chandra killing case did not make any progress after 1974. The other cases FROM PAGE 16 were closed following orders of the then sub-divisional officer (north) of Chittagong on different occasions in 1976.
An investigation agency, designated to probe the war crimes, found Salauddin's involvement in 32 war crimes incidents including the offences for which the cases were filed in 1972.
On completion of his probe, investigation officer Nurul Islam submitted his report to the prosecution. The International Crimes Tribunal-1 indicted Salauddin on 23 charges on April 4,2012.
During the 17-month trial proceedings and also at the pre-trial stage, Salauddin made several dramatic incidents at the courtroom.
He cancelled vokalatnama of his counsels twice and reappointed the same counsel thrice. Against the backdrop of his dramatic moves, the tribunal constantly kept a state-appointed defence counsel till the end of the case.
Sometimes Salauddin locked into arguments even with the judges of the tribunal for which he was cautioned several times.
The prosecution examined 40 witnesses including victims, eyewitnesses and hearsay witnesses to prove the charges in 12 months since May 14, 2012. Later the investigation officer gave deposition and was cross-examined by the defence.
Four defence witnesses including the convict himself gave deposition before the tribunal through which the defence tried to establish that Salauddin was not in Bangladesh from April 1971 to April 1974.
Both the prosecution and the defence completed placing their closing arguments on August 14 this year. The prosecution sought capital punishment, while the defence prayed for acquittal saying their client was not in Bangladesh during the war.
After the closing arguments the tribunal kept the case waiting for verdict.
Earlier on December 16, 2010, law enforcers arrested Salauddin at Banani in the capital in connection with torching a car at Moghbazar on June 26 that year.
He was shown arrested for his involvement in the crimes against humanity following an arrest warrant issued by the tribunal on December 19,2010.