The International Crimes Tribunal 1 has decided to commence the trial of war crimes accused engineer Abdul Jabbar in absentia and set July 20 for a hearing on charge framing.
The tribunal yesterday appointed Mohammad Abul Hassan as counsel to defend the fugitive accused.
On May 12, the tribunal issued arrest warrant against Jabbar, a former Jatiya Party MP, after taking the charges into cognisance. Before placing the charges, the prosecution claimed that the accused had been under their observation. But he is yet to be arrested.
After getting police report about the accused, the prosecution submitted that Jabbar was still fugitive. The tribunal ordered to publish advertisement in two newspapers asking Jabbar to appear before it on July 6.
The prosecution on May 11 brought five charges of crimes against humanity including murder, genocide and forced conversion against Jabbar, who had played a key role in forming razakar force in Mothbaria of Pirojpur.
The investigation agency handed over the probe report against Jabbar to the prosecution on April 29.