The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 will pronounce judgement in a war crimes case against 6 alleged Razakars from Gaibandha any day as the hearing of the case ended here on Monday.
“We are keeping the judgement CAV (a Latin legal term meaning the court awaits judgement),” said Justice Md. Shahinur Islam, chairman of the three-member panel of the ICT-1.
The six accused are : former Jamaat lawmaker Abdul Aziz alias Ghoramara Aziz, 65, Md Ruhul Amin alias Monju, 61, Md Abdul Latif, 61, Abu Muslim Mohammad Ali, 59, Md Nazmul Huda, 60, and Md Abdur Rahim Miah, 62.
All the accused but Latif are being tried in absentia as the law enforcement agencies are yet to arrest them.
It is the second time that the tribunal has heard the closing arguments in the case. Earlier on May 9, the ICT-1 had kept the judgement of the case CAV.
After the death of former ICT-1 chairman Justice Md Anwarul Haque, the government had to reconstitute the tribunal with its member Justice Md. Shahinur Islam was appointed the new chairman.
The newly reconstituted tribunal on October 12 set October 22 to start hearing the closing arguments afresh. After the completion of the arguments, the tribunal this morning put the judgement on CAV.
The ICT-1 on March 20, 2016, indicted the accused, framing three charges of crimes against humanity against them.
A total of 15 prosecution witnesses, including two investigation officers, testified in the case, while there were no defence witnesses to vouch for the accused.
According to the prosecution, Ghoramara Aziz and Monju raised local Peace Committee and Razakar Bahini during the liberation war in 1971. They committed crimes against humanity including genocide in their locality with the help of other accused.
