Disappointed over the defence’s repeated failure to produce witnesses to testify in favour of war crimes accused Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, the International Crimes Tribunal 1 on Wednesday set July 28 for the prosecution’s argument.
The tribunal led by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir cancelled the deposition of the fifth witness, Justice Shamim Hasnine, after the defence said he would not be able to testify before July 28.
Because the defence failed again on Wednesday to produce the fourth witness, industrialist Salman F Rahman, the tribunal allowed an alternative witness, Abdul Momen. The tribunal said it was “done in the interest of justice.” Salman, also an adviser to the Awami League president, is currently in Mecca, Saudi Arab. the defence says.
The tribunal gave the defence until noon to produce witnesses and the defence at 12:05pm produced former diplomat to Syria and Tanzania Abdul Momen as the alternative witness to Salman.
After his deposition, Prosecutor Zead-Al-Malum cross examined him.
The tribunal closed the defence witness and announced that the prosecution would conduct its argument from July 28-30 and the defence from July 31 to August 5.
Earlier, the accused testified as the first defence witness. The two other witnesses were Nizam Ahmed and Quiyum Reza Chowdhury.
Salahuddin Quader denied all the charges brought against him and claimed that he was in Pakistan from March 30, 1971 to April 20, 1974. The two other witnesses in their depositions backed his claims.
Son of Muslim League leader Fazlul Quader Chowdhury, the accused is facing 23 charges of crimes against humanity he allegedly committed during the 1971 Liberation War in Raozan and Rangunia.
The tribunal on April 4 indicted the six-time MP for murder, torture, genocide, abduction, confinement, deportation, persecution on religious grounds, looting and arson.
The last witness in his deposition yesterday said he had met Salahuddin Quader in April in 1971 at the office of his batch mate Habibunnabi Ashikur Rahman in Karachi.
Abdul Momen told the tribunal that he did not know the accused before that day. “From the conversation between Salauddin Quader and Ashikur Rahman, I came to know that Quiyum Reza Chowdhury was also in Karachi that time,” he said.
