Dhaka – The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 Monday indicted ATM Azharul Islam, assistant secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami, for committing crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation.The ICT-1 framed six specific charges of nine types. The charges include genocide, killing, abduction, confinement, torture, rape, looting, and arson. The Jamaat leader pleaded not guilty.
“All the allegations that were brought against me were utterly false, fabricated, baseless and staged. I am being persecuted only for my political identity,” Azhar said.
Meanwhile, prosecutor Zead Al Malum said Azhar was directly involved in carrying out genocide on April 17, 1971, in Jharuar Bil area in Badarganj, Rangpur.
“More than 12 hundred innocent civilians lost their lives on that fateful day,” he said.
Malum added the then president of Islami Chhatra Sangha (ICS), then student wing of Jamaat, with the help of his accomplices, used to abduct and confine women at Rangpur Pourosabha Auditorium. Later they were handed over to the Pakistani troops for being violated.
The first tribunal set December 5 for submitting opening statement by the prosecution and also asked the defence to submit their list of witnesses and documents that they want by that date.
Earlier on July 18, the prosecution submitted the formal charge, bringing six charges of crimes against humanity against ATM Azhar. On July 25, the tribunal took the charges into cognizance.
According to the prosecution, Azhar, now 60, was commander of Rangpur district unit of Al-Badr during the War of Liberation.
Hailed from Batason Lohanipara under Badarganj upazilla of Rangpur, Azharul was arrested from his Moghbazar home in the capital on August 23, 2012 and produced before the tribunal three days later. He has been in jail since then. – BSS
