The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 yesterday set September 18 to hold hearing on charge framing in the crimes against humanity case against 19 Maheshkhali Razakars including Salamat Ullah Khan.
The 18 other accused are- Moulovi Zakaria Sikdar, 78, Md Abdur Rashid Miah, 83, Oli Ahmad, 58, Jalal Uddin alias Jalal Ahmed, 63, Moulovi Nurul Islam, 61, Md Saiful alias Sabul, 53, Momtaz Ahmed, 60, Habibur Rahman alias Habib Munshi, 70, Moulovi Amjad Ali, 70, Abdul Mazid, 85, Badsha Mia, 73, Osman Gani, 61, Abdus Shukur, 65, Md Zakaria, 58, Md Jinnah alias Jinnat Ali, 58, Moulovi Jalal, 75, Abdul Aziz, 58, and Ramiz Hassan. Of them Salamat, Rashid, Nurul Islam, Badsha, Osman Gani, Jinnat Ali were arrested and except Rashid all are in jail. Rashid is now on bail.
Justice Anwarul Haque, chairman of the three-member tribunal, set the date accepting a plea from prosecutor Rana Dasgupta, as the senior prosecutor pleaded for time and permission to make some correction in the formal charge citing clerical mistakes on that document. Earlier on March 15, the prosecution submitted the formal charge in the case, pressing 12 charges against the accused.
The investigation agency of the ICT while probing the crimes committed by Cox’s Bazar Razakar kingpins Salamat, Rashid and Zakaria, found the involvement of another 16 people with the crimes against humanity and acting on their plea, the tribunal had issued warrants for their arrest.
Meanwhile, advocate Abdus Subhan Tarafder yesterday pleaded to allow him to stand for Salamat and Nurul and defend their case before the court along with Abdus Sattar Palowan. The ICT-1 accepted his plea.
The first tribunal rejected a separate plea submitted on behalf of Abdur Rashid Miah, seeking permission from the tribunal to let him go to his ancestral home in Maheshkhali to observe the upcoming Eid-ul Azha. The tribunal rejected the plea as it violates the conditions, under which he was granted bail on August 23, 2015.
