The defence of war crimes accused and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami on Sunday ended with the cross-examination of the 18th prosecution witness.
After questioning for the second day, the International Crimes Tribunal 1 headed by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir adjourned the session till today.
Freedom fighter Zahurul Huq on Thursday gave his deposition against Nizami as an eye witness about the war crimes in Santhia of Pabna during the 1971 Liberation War. He claimed that at least 400 people mostly from the Hindu community had been killed upon Nizami’s order.
The Jamaat chief was indicted on May 28 last year on 16 counts of crimes against humanity he allegedly committed in Pabna and Dhaka during the war. The charges against him include genocide, rape, torture, abduction, confinement and conspiracy.
Defence lawyer Mizanul Islam asked the witness when had the investigation officer (IO) met him. Zahurul replied that he had never met the IO before May 17 this year.
Then the defence showed him a list of razakars of Santhia which the witness had purportedly given to the IO in 2010. The witness said: “Yes, I gave the list to the IO and the signature is mine. But I did not prepare it.”
In response to a question whether the Pakistani army had gone to the area to form Peace Committee, Zahurul said he did not know.
The defence also asked him how did the freedom fighters recognise razakars and al-Badr members. The witness said upon capture, they admitted to being a razakar and al-Badr member.
At the end of cross-examination, the defence suggested that the witness had been a ruling Awami League supporter and hence had placed false statements before the tribunal. Zahurul denied the allegation.
Later, the defence counsel sought a one-week adjournment. But the tribunal asked them to continue and ordered to place the next witness today.
