Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami’s lawyer has appealed for
an opportunity to present the final arguments on his client’s behalf
in a war crimes case that the judge ordered closed.
Toriqul Islam filed the appeal to the International Crimes Tribunal
(ICT) registrar on Thursday.
The appeal seeks an opportunity to argue on Nizami’s behalf, informing
the ICT that Nizami’s chief lawyer, Mizanul Islam, was ill.
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 finished hearing the case on
Wednesday after the defence counsels remained absent on four
consecutive days fixed for hearing.
Justice ATM Fazle Kabir kept the verdict pending while ordering the
defendant’s counsel to submit his final arguments in writing within
the next five days.
Toriqul Islam said on Wednesday the lawyers did not show up in the
court fearing risk to their lives during the Opposition-sponsored
shutdown.
He said the court finished the hearing without getting to listen to
the arguments of the defence.
The lawyer said this would impede the trial process.
The Jamaat leader has been charged with 16 counts of war crimes
including rape, murder, and abduction during Bangladesh’s Liberation
War in 1971.
This would be the 10th verdict by the International Crimes Tribunal
(ICT) in cases concerning crimes against humanity.
Earlier, the tribunal had sentenced eight Jamaat and two BNP leaders
in nine such cases.
The war crimes trial of the Jamaat chief began on May 28, 2012.
Nizami was detained on July 29, 2010 on charges of hurting religious
sentiments of one community.
On Aug 2 that year, he was formally arrested for committing crimes
against humanity.
On Dec 11, 2012, the prosecution brought specific charges against him
and, on Dec 28, the court took it into its cognizance of them.
The charges against him include the killing of 70 people and the
torching of 72 houses in Dec, 1971, at Brishalika village in Pabna’s
Bera Upazila, murder of 450 people in Demra and Baushia villages,
killing several people in front of a Hindu temple at Kormocha village
of Santhiya Upazila besides looting, rape and abduction.
