The prosecution at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 on Monday started placing arguments against Jamaat assistant secretary general ATM Azharul Islam.Prosecutor Zead al-Malum argued against the Jamaat leader for some time and the first tribunal than adjourned the hearing till today, leaving the prosecution arguments incomplete.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. According to the prosecution, Azhar, now 61, was commander of Rangpur district unit of Al-Badr during the War of Liberation. Hailed from Batason Lohanipara under Badarganj upazilla of Rangpur, Azhar 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.
