BANGLADESH NEWS
Former BNP lawmaker Abdul Alim was indicted on Monday on 17 charges of crimes against humanity committed during the country's Liberation War in 1971.
After framing the charges, the International Crimes Tribunal-2 set July 9 for the trial to begin with opening statement from the prosecution and examination of its witnesses.
The charges against the three-time BNP lawmaker and former minister include involvement in genocide, murder, complicity, confinement and other crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War of the country.
After charges against Alim were read out, the three member tribunal led by its Chairman Justice ATM Fazle Kabir asked him if he pleaded guilty or not guilty. The Jamaat leader claimed himself innocent.
During its nearly two-hour proceedings, the tribunal also asked the defence to submit their document and a list of witnesses on the very day when the trial will start formally against the BNP man.
Alim was arrested on March 27, 2011, and has been on conditional bail since March 31 last year.
The Tribunal-1 had taken the charges brought against him into cognisance on March 27 this year after the prosecution submitted formal charges against him on March 15 this year.
On April 16, Tribunal-1 transferred three cases including Alim's to Tribunal-2 for quick disposal and the second tribunal started Alim's case proceeding on April 24.
The prosecution alleged that Alim, an influential leader of East Pakistan Conventional Muslim League, formed Peace Committee and Razakar Bahini (two collaborator forces) in Joypurhat in 1971 and committed killings, genocide, rape, looting, arson and other crimes against humanity in association with the auxiliary forces and the Pakistan army.
The defence claimed that the trial was being held 40 years after the crimes were committed only to “suppress the opposition” and the prosecution brought allegations against Alim but lacked sufficient legal basis and evidence.
Alim is among the eight BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders facing war crimes charges before the tribunals.
Earlier, the two tribunals dealing with the war crimes charges framed charges against Jamaat former chief Ghulam Azam, its present Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami, its Nayeb-e-Ameer Delawar Hossain Sayedee and its two assistant secretaries general Abdul Quader Mollah and Mohammad Kamaruzzaman and BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury.
The tribunal also issued an arrest warrant against expelled Jamaat member Abul Kalam Azad who is now at large.
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