The International Crimes Tribunal-2 yesterday cancelled the vokalatnama (power of attorney) of defence counsel for Jamaat-e-Islami leader AKM Yusuf as the counsel has been remaining absent from court proceedings since November 25.

The three-member tribunal led by Justice Obaidul Hassan with members Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Shahinur Islam also barred Syed Mizanur Rahman, the conducting counsel, from appearing in any other cases at the tribunal.

It also asked Yusuf to appoint a new lawyer within Sunday; otherwise the court will provide him with a state defence counsel to assist his junior counsel Gazi MH Tamim in the war crimes case.

Meanwhile, the accused Jamaat leaders' senior lawyers, who had been staying off the proceedings of the tribunals and the Supreme Court on hartal and blockade days citing "security concerns", were present at the SC yesterday.

Chief of defence counsel barrister Abdur Razzak along with several defence lawyers appeared before the SC when they moved a petition over the acceptability of an application seeking review of its earlier judgment that awarded death penalty to Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah.

The prosecution, however, believe the "deliberate" absence of the defence counsels is a "strategy to hamper the trial proceedings".

Yusuf's conducting counsel, Mizanur Rahman, remained absent from the tribunal since November 25 prompting the tribunal to close cross-examination of five prosecution witnesses.

Yesterday, the court closed the cross-examination of Taiyab Ali Kha, 17th prosecution witness in Yusufs case, as Mizanur Rahman again failed to show up before the court and Tamim expressed his inability to cross-examine the witness.

"You |defence] are causing serious harm to him [accused]. But we [judges] can't let it happen," Justice

Hassan said before passing the order.

The tribunal asked Yusuf twice to give his opinion whether he will cross-examine the witness or appoint new counsel. Otherwise, the court will provide him state counsel.

The war crimes tribunals sit amid hartal and blockades but cannot make much headway with the cases as senior defence counsels remain absent on strike days.

Although both the tribunals had repeatedly assured the senior counsels of Jamaat leaders of providing them with necessary protection, they refrained from attending the proceedings during shutdowns.

The Appellate Division, where appeals of several convicted Jamaat leaders remain pending, usually discharges judicial functions on strike days. But in the absence of any party,

the apex court does not proceed with the case.

Jamaat lawyers never attend proceedings of the Appellate Division during hartal and blockades.

Even the hearing on the appeal of another Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee didn't see any progress since the last week of November, as the defence didn't appear before the court during the opposition-enforced blockades.

However, this correspondent yesterday found defence counsels Abdur Razzaq, Khandker Mahbub Hossain, Tajul Islam, Ehsan A Siddiq, Imran Siddiq and Shishir Manir at the Appellate Division.

Tajul Islam told The Daily Star last night, "We appeared (before the Appellate Division) risking our lives only to save a life |Quader Mollah]. This should not be compared with other days."