The war crimes tribunal Monday ordered that after September 8, proceedings of the case against Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami would be held every working day.
Justice ATM Fazle Kabir of the International Crimes Tribunal 1 also ordered the jail authorities to take concern of the tribunal before producing Nizami in any other trial court. The Jamaat ameer is accused in several other cases including 10-truck arms haul trial of which is taking place in Chittagong.
Nizami would be produced at a Chittagong court today and Wednesday in the 2004 arms haul case.
The tribunal Monday also asked both the defence and the prosecution to appear before it with full preparation.
Before that, the tribunal recorded deposition of the 19th prosecution witness in the case. Later, the defence started cross examining him and sought an adjournment to complete the quizzing the next day.
The tribunal then set September 8 for further proceedings in the case and gave the other directives, apparently to speed up the trial.
The prosecution began producing witnesses on August 26, and so far produced 19 witnesses. The total number of prosecution witnesses is 107. The seventh witness was declared “hostile witness” as he did not mention the name of Nizami in his testimony.
Nizami was indicted on May 28 last year on 16 counts of crimes against humanity he allegedly committed in Pabna and Dhaka during the Liberation War. The charges include genocide, rape, torture, abduction, confinement and conspiracy.
Witness Abu Sama Fakir, 70, Monday told the tribunal that the accused in cooperation with razakars and the Pakistani occupation force had carried out killings at the house of Mega Thakur in Karamja village in Santhia of Pabna during the liberation war.
They also raped Mega Thakur’s daughter and sister-in-law upon an order by Nizami. Freedom fighter Sama said at least nine people had been killed in front of the family temple of Mega Thakur. The witness and other villagers later buried them.
The witness hails from Santhia’s Talot, a village near to Karamja. He said on May 8, 1971, “I heard gunshots at Karamja village. I was scared and went to a bamboo bush to hide. The situation calmed down after one hour. I went to Karamja and saw Mega Thakur and eight others including Diju Thakur, Kartik Halder, Murli Mali, Fakir Chand and Sansthi Halder dead.” He said some of the bodies had been full with bullets while some were beheaded.
The witness heard from villagers Ansar Ali and Safiz that Nizami along with Rafikunnabi Bablu, Afzal, Asad and Sukur Khan had directed the Pakistani army to kill those persons.
Abu Sama also said he had seen Nizami with the Pakistani army on a jeep at Bongram on April 28. “Then Habibur Rahman and Akkas were walking along the vehicle. I hid myself behind a bush,” he said.
After his deposition, the witness identified Nizami in the dock.
