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Judgment 'farcical'

Claims BNP; calls hartal in Ctg, Rangamati for today; Khaleda's adviser threatens to try all involved in war crimes trial; Jamaat mum this time

Staff Correspondent
The BNP now plans to make the most of the alleged leak of the verdict against its leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury to prove the war crimes trials a "farce".
The party chairperson's adviser Khandker Mahbub Hossain yesterday said if voted to power, the BNP would try those involved in the war crimes trials.
Speaking at a press briefing after the International Crimes Tribunal-1 sentenced BNP lawmaker SQ Chowdhury to death for crimes against humanity, Mahbub also said, "The verdict against Salauddin is politically motivated and farcical."
Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum, a pro-BNP lawyers' platform, arranged the briefing at the Supreme Court auditorium.
Also vice-chairman of Bangladesh Bar Council, Mahbub is a counsel for Delawar Hossain Sayedee and Abdul Quader Mollah, Jamaat leaders convicted of war crimes. He was one of the prosecutors at the Special Tribunal that in the early 70s conducted the trial of collaborators of the Pakistan army under the Bangladesh Collaborators (Special Tribunal) Order, 1972.
Judgment
FROM PAGE 16
Protesting the judgment, BN P's local units have called dawn-to-dusk hartal in Chittagong, the home district of Salauddin, and Rangamati.
In the wake of the latest developments, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia last night held an uigent meeting with some senior party leaders to discuss how to cash in on the issue, party sourcessaid.
"The government has given the nation the biggest surprise (alleged leak of the judgment]. We have long been saying the war crimes trial could not maintain international standards. The leak of the verdict now proves our claim," a senior BNP leader said, wishing anonymity.
Party insiders said the BNP would now use the leak incident to prove "the war crimes trials are farcical and a mere government design to persecute the opposition leaders".
The main opposition party has so far kept mum on the trials of its leaders Salauddin and Abdul Alim, while the government has been claiming the BNP is
against war cri mes trials.
The party has remained almost silent also on the verdicts in the cases against some senior leaders of its key ally Jamaat-e-lslami.
Yesterday's developments have made Jamaat happy, as it believes the BNP would now protest the war crimes verdicts.
"We have been claiming for long that all the verdicts against our leaders were predetermined. The leak of the verdict [against Salauddin] has proved us right,” Abu Taleb Mandal, secretary general of Pabna district Jamaat, toldThe Daily Star.
Speaking at the press conference yesterday, some senior BNP leaders termed the verdict on Salauddin "farcical".
"We have never heard of any judgment being leaked before its delivery by court. But that's what has happened now. And it is even more regretful that the law ministry might have been the author of the judgment," said Moudud Ahmed, a member of the BNP standing committee.
The tribunal should clarify its stance on the alleged
leak. Otherwise, people’s confusion about the trial would increase, he added.
"This trial is farcical," Moudud said adding, "We too want trial of war criminals. But it must maintain international standards."
BNP leaders said the defence will file an appeal with the Supreme Court against the verdict on Salauddin.
The ruling Awami League, its ally Workers Party of Bangladesh and different political parties have expressed satisfaction over the verdict.
BNP REACTION TODAY
The BNP will come up with its formal reaction today on the SQ Chowdhury verdict, party's acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgirsaid last night.
He was talking to reporters after a two-hour meeting chaired by Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office.
A BNP standing committee member, who attended the meeting, told The Daily Star the party would hold rallies across the country tomorrow in protest against the verdict.
Pro-BNP lawyers association Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum too will hold protest rallies on all court premises the same day.
VANDALISM
At least five vehicles were damaged and 10 others torched in Dhaka and Chittagong yesterday afternoon, hours after the ICT-1 delivered its verdict in the case against SQ Chowdhury.
Besides, covered van driver Nurul Islam, whose vehicle was set on fire by some unidentified miscreants on Kazi Alauddin Road in the capital around 2:00pm, was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital with serious burn injuries, said police.
In Chittagong, followers of Salauddin set fire to at least seven motorcycles and a pick-up van in Rangunia and Raozan upazilas, reports our correspondent.
In Rangunia, chase and counter-chase took place between Chhatra League activists and Salauddin's followers when the former brought out a procession to celebrate the verdict in the afternoon.