The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 on Wednesday set September 14 for submitting the legal arguments for Jamaat leader ATM Azharul Islam, charged with committing crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation.
Yesterday was fixed for submitting legal arguments by the defence in this trial, but the ICT-1 deferred the date accepting a plea of advocate Shishir Munir, counsel for Azhar.
The tribunal said the defence will get an hour on that day to place their legal arguments and then the prosecution will place their rebuttal if they have any.
However, advocate Abdus Subhan Tarafder, senior conducting counsel for Azhar, on Wednesday placed his arguments on documents exhibited by the prosecution in this trial. He drew the attention of the tribunal to, what he called contradiction found in the documents.
The prosecution concluded their part of arguments on August 26, seeking death for Azhar for his wartime crimes.
A total of 19 witnesses, including the investigation officer, testified against Azhar. Of them, the prosecution declared their 7th witness hostile.
On the other hand, the defense produced one Anwarul Haque, a distant relative of Azhar, as their sole defense witness and exhibited their defense documents through him.
The ICT-1 on November 12, 2013, indicted Azhar for committing crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation and framed six charges.
According to the prosecution, Azhar, now 61, was the commander of Rangpur district unit of Al-Badr during the War of Liberation. Azhar, who hailed from Batason Lohanipara under Badarganj upazilla of Rangpur, was arrested from his Moghbazar residence in the capital on August 23, 2012 and produced before the tribunal three days later. He has been in jail since then.
Meanwhile, at the ICT-2, the defence in the trial of Jamaat leader Mawlana Abdus Subhan concluded the cross-examination of 28th prosecution witness (PW). The second tribunal too adjourned the hearing of this trial till September 14.
