A war crimes tribunal yesterday asked the defence of former Awami League leader from Brahmanbaria Mobarak Hossain to have alternative counsel if conducting lawyer Ahsanul Huq again failed to appear during proceedings due to his sickness.
Yesterday was set for placing the second witness in the case. Upon a plea submitted by defence counsel Tajul Islam, the International Crimes Tribunal 1 deferred the proceedings until March 18. Tajul said Ahsanul was under treatment.
Mobarak, an alleged razakar commander from Brahmanbaria, testified in the case as the first defence witness.
On the other hand, senior prosecutor Syed Haider Ali opposed the defence plea alleging that the defence was trying to kill time. “The last hearing in this trial was held on December 15, 2013. After that, it was deferred twice for various reasons. So I am pleading for closing the defence witnesses.”
After hearing both sides, the tribunal accepted the petition and asked the defence to have alternative preparation for that day.
Ahsanul remained absent in most of the proceedings during the opposition’s hartals and blockades in December last year. The same tribunal yesterday adjourned the proceedings in Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam’s case until March 16 after the cross-examination of the third prosecution witness.
Defence lawyer Abdus Sobhan Tarafder questioned Moklesar Rahman Sarker, son of martyr Mamtaz Ali from south Ramnathpur of Badarganj under Rangpur district, who testified on last Wednesday.
