The chairman of the International Crimes Tribunal 1 (ICT 1) on Tuesday expressed disappointment with Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury’s defence counsel over his cross-examination of the last prosecution witness.
Defence counsel Ahsanul Huq Hena questioned Nurul Islam, the 41st witness as well as investigation officer (IO) of the case, about the probe process; in response to questions the IO denied allegations he did not personally investigate lists of Razakars and freedom fighters.
The defence counsel asked how the IO organised the investigation in Chittagong, and about the first and second prosecution witnesses – Prof Dr Anisuzzaman and Saleh Uddin.
When asked if the IO had collected death certificates for those who died on March 26, 1971 from the relevant police stations, he replied in the negative.
At which point the chairman of the tribunal, ATM Fazle Kabir, intervened to express his dissatisfaction with the line of questioning by the counsel, and said: “Are you denying the genocide that took place during the 1971 Liberation War? You are the only one in the whole defence team to ask a witness questions denying the genocide.”
The counsel replied he was not denying the genocide but verifying facts.
The IO’s cross-examination by the defence counsel was stopped as the tribunal adjourned for the day.
Along with 41 witnesses’ testimonies, the tribunal accepted statements made by four persons to the IO, as depositions.
BNP standing committee member SQ Chowdhury is the son of Muslim League leader Fazlul Quader Chowdhury. He is facing 23 charges of committing crimes against humanity including genocide, rape, looting and arson.
Case against Mobarak
In the second session of the day, the defence counsel of war crimes suspect and former Awami League leader Mobarak Hossain began cross-examination of the fourth prosecution witness, Khadem Hossain Khan.
Khadem, who was an informer and looked after security for the freedom fighters’ gave his deposition at the tribunal on Sunday, accusing Mobarak of abducting and torturing him at an army camp in Akhaura, Brahmanbaria.
Defence counsel Ahsanul began quizzing him about incidents he mentioned in his deposition. Proceedings were stopped when the tribunal adjourned, and Khadem’s cross-examination will resume on June 16.
Mobarak is facing five charges of crimes against humanity that includes killing 33 people in Akhaura, torturing Ashuranjan Deb at a Razakar camp, abductions and killings in Shyampur - between August and December 1971.
According to the charge sheet, Mobarak was a member of Jamaat-e-Islami’s Akhaura union unit after the war, and he later joined the Awami League but was expelled two years ago.
