The war crimes tribunal is set to deliver its verdict today in the case against Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami for his role during the 1971 Liberation War.
The three-member International Crimes Tribunal 1 led by Justice M Enayetur Rahim set the date Monday.
Nizami was indicted on May 28, 2012 on 16 counts of crimes against humanity including rape, murder, abduction and inciting violence committed in Dhaka and Pabna. The accused allegedly played a key role in setting up Peace Committee and razakar forces, meant to oppress the pro-liberation Bangalees.
According to the formal charges, Nizami had been the chief of Islami Chhatra Sangha, then Jamaat’s student wing, prior to October in 1971. Later he became the chief of All Pakistan Chhatra Sangha. Militia group al-Badr, which was responsible for the systematic killings of intellectuals, was formed with Chhatra Sangha members.
This will be the 10th verdict in war crimes cases to be announced by the two tribunals.
However, the verdict against Nizami, allegedly a top collaborator of the Pakistani occupation forces, has been delayed for a long time.
On November 13 last year, the tribunal 1 announced that the verdict in the case might be delivered any day. However, the closing arguments were heard once again since the former chairman went on retirement on December 31, before the verdict was delivered.
On February 23 this year, the Law Ministry appointed High Court Division Judge M Enayetur Rahim as the chairman of tribunal 1.
A fresh hearing of the closing arguments began on March 10 and the trial ended on March 24.
On that day, prosecutor Tureen Afroz sought capital punishment for Nizami, and conducting prosecutor Mohammad Ali claimed that they had proved all the charges, and that death penalty was the only punishment for such an accused.
In their arguments, the defence, however, termed Nizami “innocent,” and said he had not been involved in any of the crimes stated in the charge sheet.
The defence said Nizami had not directed to kill or destroy in whole or part any of the racial, religious, ethnic or national group that are components of a genocide charge.
Since he had not targeted any of those groups, it could not be genocide, claimed the defence.
Despite admitting that Nizami was the chief of Islami Chhatra Sangha, the defence claimed that the prosecution had been unable to produce any evidence to prove that the accused was also the chief of al-Badr.
On July 24 last year, Aminul Islam Dablew, a prosecution witness testifying against Nizami, told the tribunal that razakars and al-Badr members had killed his freedom fighter father and tortured his brother on Nizami’s orders.
On August 29 last year, Zahurul Huq, a freedom fighter, told the tribunal that some Pakistani army personnel along with local razakars and al-Badr members had committed a massacre in Ruposhi Bausgari village of Pabna’s Santhia during the Liberation War.
He said upon Nizami’s order, at least 400 people, mostly from the Hindu communities, had been killed in an operation in that village.
Nizami, a former industries minister during the BNP-Jamaat’s 2001-06 term, already faces death sentence in the sensational 10-truck arms haul case.
