ASP Abdur Razzaq Khan, the Investigation Officer (IO) of the war crimes case filed against detained Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami, began his deposition before the International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Wednesday as the last prosecution witness.
Referring to his collected information and documents, PW-26 Razzaq told the tribunal that after visiting different districts, including Pabna, during the 1971 Liberation War, accused Nizami, then chief of Al-Badr and president of Islami Chhatra Sangha (ICS) in collaboration with the Pakistan occupation forces, had directly perpetrated the crimes against humanity, including genocide.
He said that during his visit in different districts, Nizami used to deliver provocative speeches among the members of Peace Committee (collaborators), Razakars, Al Shams and Al Badr, the vigilante group of Jamaat-e-Islami, in order to spread hatred and vengeance against the freedom loving people.
The IO’s deposition remained inconclusive. A former minister during the past BNP-Jamaat rule, Nizami is being tried on charges of involvement in murders and torture of unarmed people along with hatching conspiracy, planning, incitement and complicity to commit genocide and crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War in collaboration with the Pakistan occupation army.
Nizami faces 16 counts of charges based on 16 separate incidents of alleged crimes against humanity, in which unarmed people were killed and women raped during the Liberation War. On December 11, 2011, the prosecution submitted the formal charge against Nizami before the tribunal.
On January 9, 2012, the tribunal took cognisance of the formal charge for facing the trial of crimes against humanity during the country’s Liberation War. On May 28, 2012, the tribunal indicted the Jamaat ameer for committing the 1971 crimes against humanity.
On June 29, 2010, Nizami was arrested in front of the National Press Club after a magistrate court in Dhaka issued warrant of arrest in connection with a criminal case over hurting religious sentiment of Muslims. Later he was shown arrested on August 2, 2010, in connection with the war crimes case. – UNB
