The defence counsels for Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami on Sunday ended the cross-examination of prosecution’s 22nd witness Shahjahan Ali who gave his deposition on Thursday.
At the end of the day’s proceedings, the International Crimes Tribunal 1 set on Monday for deposition of the new witness.
Before that, the defence pleaded to the tribunal for hearing of their two petitions concerning the prosecution introducing a new witness and rechecking the video footage of cross-examination of Shahjahan.
Nizami was indicted on 16 counts of crimes against humanity he allegedly committed in Pabna and Dhaka. The charges include genocide, rape, torture, abduction, confinement and conspiracy.
During the questioning, the defence counsel tried to prove that the witness had given “untrue”deposition as he was an active supporter of the ruling Awami League. They also claimed that uncle of the witness had died after the war.
Asked how many times the accused had visited the witness’ village
Brishalikhain Pabna’sSanthia, he said Nizami along with local razakars and al-Badr members had gone there at least four to five times between
August and December of 1971,“though nobody from the village talked with them.”
The defence grilled him for one and a half hoursduring the second session as the tribunal did not sit in morning session.
At the end of the questioning,defence counsel Tajul mentioned about the two petitions they had filed. Onechallenges the inclusion of Shyamoli NasrinChowdhury as a prosecution witness, despite her name not being in the original witness list. The tribunal acceptedthe plea and set on Monday for a hearing on the petition.
Regarding the second petition, Mizanulrequested the tribunal to check the video recording of Shahjahan’s cross-examination.The tribunal said it would give an order on Monday after checking the video.
