STAFF CORRESPONDENT

The defence of former minister Hasanul Haq Inu yesterday told the International Crimes Tribunal-2 that prosecutors have failed to establish evidence linking him to the killing of six people in Kushtia.

Defence counsel Munsurul Hoque Chowdhury argued that Inu neither ordered the killings nor was present in Kushtia at the time, citing prosecution witnesses.

He also said Inu was not a member of parliament during the July uprising.

Inu, president of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, is the sole accused in a crimes against humanity case filed over the Kushtia killings linked to the July unrest.

“Only one prosecution witness claimed the killings took place on Inu’s order, but could not specify when or how such an order was given,” the defence told the tribunal.

The defence began its arguments on April 2, which are ongoing. The tribunal adjourned proceedings until May 4 after granting a defence plea for more time.

In a separate development, a forensic expert testified that an audio clip of a purported conversation between former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Fazle Noor Taposh matched voice samples from authenticated sources.

According to the clip presented in court, a voice identified as Hasina’s is heard giving instructions to use lethal weapons, with a response attributed to Taposh. The expert also told the tribunal that a voice in another disputed recording matched that of former Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Habibur Rahman.