The defence lawyers for Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam on Tuesday began hearing on charge framing in a war crimes case and a discharge petition.
On the first day, two defence counsels argued on behalf of their client and pleaded for another session as their senior lawyer Abdur Razzaq wanted to place his arguments. The tribunal then set October 3 for further hearing on the indictment.
Earlier on August 29, the prosecution of the International Crimes Tribunal 1 ended hearing on the charge framing matter. Later, the defence sought some time for preparation and the tribunal deferred the hearing on two occasions.
On July 25, the tribunal took into cognisance the formal charges against the Jamaat assistant secretary general. On July 18, the prosecution submitted the charges against Azhar on six counts of crimes against humanity he had allegedly committed in Rangpur during the 1971 Liberation War.
On Tuesday, defence counsel Shishir Monir argued on whether the formal charges had been done properly.
The defence also spoke on the charge related to superior responsibility. Barrister Imran Siddiq said in all the charges, the prosecution had claimed that Azhar had held the superior responsibility because of his cohesion and communication with the Pakistani occupation army. But, he said, the prosecution had not mentioned in the charges whether Azhar had any subordinate and what they had done during the war.
According to the charges, Azhar had been involved with Islami Chhatra Sangha, then student wing of Jamaat, and al-Badr, a para militia force that sided with the Pakistani army. He had allegedly been involved in mass killings, torture and abduction in the district between March-December 1971.
