Shafique Ahmed, legal adviser to the prime minister, yesterday proposed a reshuffle of the responsibilities of the war crimes tribunal’s prosecution team, including changing the conducting prosecutor in Mir Kashem Ali case.
All the senior members of the prosecution and the investigation agency were present in the meeting held at the law ministry. However, Zead-Al-Malum and AKM Saiful Islam were absent as they were dealing with the case against ATM Azhar at the tribunal.
The meeting participants agreed to the proposals, several prosecutors confirmed.
Former law minister Shafique also reviewed the present condition of the cases under trial. After reviewing the cases, he proposed Haider Ali to coordinate the case against Mir Kashem, a senior Jamaat leader and also key financier of the party.
Malum and Sultan Mahmud were conducting the case.
The case is going slow since the beginning. After indictment, the prosecution submitted its opening statement on October 6. But they placed the first witness on December 11.
Haider had been the conducting prosecutor in the case against death row convict Delawar Hossain Sayedee.
Senior prosecutor Haider was also given the task to coordinate the prosecution team considering the age of chief prosecutor Golam Arif Tipoo. He would work in consultation with Tipoo, sources said.
It was decided that the prosecution’s conducting team in the case against war crimes suspect ATM Azhar, also a senior Jamaat leader, would be increased. Yesterday, the prosecution placed their first witness in this case.
The meeting also discussed about the safety and security of the witnesses and the prosecution members. On Wednesday night, miscreants beat up a police member who was on duty at prosecutor Tureen Afroz’s house. The investigation agency was directed to take necessary steps in this regard.
Prosecutor Shahidur Rahman said: “It was our routine meeting where we exchange our experiences. I cannot tell you more than that.” Enquired whether any decision was made at the meeting, he said: “We are working as a team. So everyone is responsible for every case.”
Contacted, several prosecutors who were present at the hour-long meeting said they had taken some decisions.