SM Mizanur Rahman :
The Government of Bangladesh has refused entry to five Pakistanis who wanted to appear as defence witnesses for death-row war crimes convict Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, said The Express Tribune, a Pakistan-based English daily on Friday.
Simultaneously, it (Bangladesh Government) also wrote a letter to the international airport immigration police with the names and photographs of
the witnesses, with request to blacklist them. The international body, subsequently, communicated the ban to Pakistani authorities. Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, also a standing committee member of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking depositions by eight people, including five Pakistanis, as defence witnesses during hearing on his review petition. He filed the review petition on October 14 with the SC against its verdict upholding his death penalty for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War. The eight witnesses named in the petition are Muneeb Arjumand Khan, a Pakistani architect; Ambar Haroon Saigol, chairman of Dawn Group of Pakistan; Ishak Khan Khakwani, former minister of Pakistan; Riaz Ahmed Noon, grandson of Viqarunnisa Noon; Mohammad Mian Somroo, chief of former caretaker government of Pakistan; M Osman Siddik, a US expatriate and former diplomat; High Court division Judge Shamim Hasnain and his mother Zinat Ara Begum.
Ishak Khan Khakwani told The Express Tribune in Islamabad on Thursday that they have approached the Supreme Court of Bangladesh over the tribunal’s refusal to accept them as witnesses. He further expressed disappointment over the Bangladesh government’s move to bar their entry.
“We are protesting the Bangladesh government’s decision regarding our ban on every forum,” Khakwani stated as he questioned the tribunal’s logic to not allow international witnesses.
The petition for issuing summons against the eight witnesses was submitted to the Supreme Court on October 19.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam termed the petition unprecedented, saying, “The filing of petition for recording depositions of witnesses after the stipulated 15 days of filing review is unprecedented. If the petition is granted, it might invite anarchy.” Earlier, Justice Shamim Hasnain and former FBCCI President Salman F Rahman were made defence witnesses but they did not make their deposition. However, former diplomat Abdul Momen made his deposition instead of Salman F Rahman.
Besides, SQ Chowdhurys’ college friend Nizam Ahmed and Asia Pacific University Trustee Board member and his cousin Quaiyum Reza Chowdhury made their deposition before the tribunal as defence witnesses.
On October 1, 2013, the then International Crimes Tribunal-1 found the BNP leader guilty of crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation and condemned him to death. On October 29 of the same year, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury filed an appeal with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the ICT verdict. The SC on September 30 this year released the full verdict awarding death penalty to Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, clearing the way for the execution of the judgment.
The Government of Bangladesh has refused entry to five Pakistanis who wanted to appear as defence witnesses for death-row war crimes convict Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, said The Express Tribune, a Pakistan-based English daily on Friday.
Simultaneously, it (Bangladesh Government) also wrote a letter to the international airport immigration police with the names and photographs of
the witnesses, with request to blacklist them. The international body, subsequently, communicated the ban to Pakistani authorities. Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, also a standing committee member of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking depositions by eight people, including five Pakistanis, as defence witnesses during hearing on his review petition. He filed the review petition on October 14 with the SC against its verdict upholding his death penalty for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War. The eight witnesses named in the petition are Muneeb Arjumand Khan, a Pakistani architect; Ambar Haroon Saigol, chairman of Dawn Group of Pakistan; Ishak Khan Khakwani, former minister of Pakistan; Riaz Ahmed Noon, grandson of Viqarunnisa Noon; Mohammad Mian Somroo, chief of former caretaker government of Pakistan; M Osman Siddik, a US expatriate and former diplomat; High Court division Judge Shamim Hasnain and his mother Zinat Ara Begum.
Ishak Khan Khakwani told The Express Tribune in Islamabad on Thursday that they have approached the Supreme Court of Bangladesh over the tribunal’s refusal to accept them as witnesses. He further expressed disappointment over the Bangladesh government’s move to bar their entry.
“We are protesting the Bangladesh government’s decision regarding our ban on every forum,” Khakwani stated as he questioned the tribunal’s logic to not allow international witnesses.
The petition for issuing summons against the eight witnesses was submitted to the Supreme Court on October 19.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam termed the petition unprecedented, saying, “The filing of petition for recording depositions of witnesses after the stipulated 15 days of filing review is unprecedented. If the petition is granted, it might invite anarchy.” Earlier, Justice Shamim Hasnain and former FBCCI President Salman F Rahman were made defence witnesses but they did not make their deposition. However, former diplomat Abdul Momen made his deposition instead of Salman F Rahman.
Besides, SQ Chowdhurys’ college friend Nizam Ahmed and Asia Pacific University Trustee Board member and his cousin Quaiyum Reza Chowdhury made their deposition before the tribunal as defence witnesses.
On October 1, 2013, the then International Crimes Tribunal-1 found the BNP leader guilty of crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation and condemned him to death. On October 29 of the same year, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury filed an appeal with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the ICT verdict. The SC on September 30 this year released the full verdict awarding death penalty to Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, clearing the way for the execution of the judgment.
