The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 is set to deliver its verdict any day against nine people, including former BNP leader and Jamaat MP Maulana Shakhawat Hossain, in the cases for crimes against humanity committed during the country’s Liberation War in 1971.
The three-member tribunal headed by Justice Anwarul Haque kept the case waiting for verdict after hearing the law-point arguments from both the prosecution and the defence lawyers.
“The hearing just ended today. We are now keeping the verdict on CAV (curia advisory vault, a Latin legal term meaning the court awaits verdict),” said Justice Anwarul Haque.
Only two of nine accused — Shakhawat Hossain and Billal Hossain- were on the doc when the court passed the order.
The nine are facing five charges of crimes against humanity committed in Jessore in 1971. Among them, six are fugitives. They are Ibrahim Hossain, Sheikh Mohammad Mujibur Rahman, M Abdul Aziz Sardar, MA Aziz, Kazi Ohidul, and Abdul Khalek Morol.
Another accused, Lutfar Morol died of old age ailments in jail in May in 2015. Advocate Abdus Sattar Palwan and Abdus Sukkur Khan stood for the accused while Prosecutor Zead Al Malum represented the State.
On September 8, 2015, the ICT-1 took the charges against nine people, including Shakhawat Hossain, in the cases.
The tribunal also acquitted three accused — Ojihar Morol, Akram Hossain and Moshiur Rahman — from the charges as no specific charge was brought against them, said defence counsel Abdus Sattar.
Earlier on July 26, the prosecution pressed five counts of charges against Shakhawat Hossain and 11 others for their alleged involvement in crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.
Original Link: https://www.observerbd.com/details.php?id=23741
