The prosecution has moved the war crimes tribunal to issue arrest warrant for Jamaat-e-Islami's guru and former chief Ghulam Azam for his role in the 1971 Liberation War against Pakistan.
The appeal was made on Monday after chief prosecutor Ghulam Arieff Tipoo submitted a 52-point charter of charges to the three-judge tribunal headed by Justice Nizamul Huq on Monday.
The tribunal accepted the charges and forwarded the submission to the court's registrar.
After formal submission of the charges to the registrar, the prosecution would now urge the tribunal to arrest Azam, the prosecution said.
On Nov 1, the prosecution informed the court that they had received an investigation report on 89-year old Azam and that they were working on it. They had also handed in a copy of the report for the tribunal's record.
The chief coordinator of the tribunal's investigation unit Abdul Hannan Khan said that they had recommended his arrest in the report.
"There are 40 witnesses in the 360-page report on Ghulam Azam and over 400 documents."
He also pointed out that since the alleged crimes were committed 40 years ago, the investigators had collected all kinds of documents available from those times, in addition to witness testimonies.
The prosecution brought formal charges against Azam with a recommendation to issue a warrant for his arrest. "There will be a hearing about the arrest warrant if the tribunal takes the charges into cognisance," prosecutor Syed Haider Ali told .
Tipoo told journalists that the submission of formal charges against the former Jamaat chief "reflected people's desire" to see the war criminals tried.
The prosecution has evidence of Azam's direct involvement with more than 100 crimes in 52 different incidents. "We have elaborately presented the investigation agency's report in the court," he said.
Prosecutor Rana Dasgupta alleged that Ghulam Azam had been on good terms with the Pakistani military government before and after the 1970's election.
A few days after the 70's election, Azam and leaders of different political parties, who were defeated in the election, met then Gen Tikka Khan – who was known as the Butcher of Bengal and the martial law administrator – and decided to form the 'Peace Committee', he said.
On the third day of 'Operation Searchlight', a night when hundreds of thousands innocent people were massacred, a peace committee of 140 members headed by Khwaja Khairuddin was formed. The following day, another six-member committee was formed to supervise their activities. "Ghulam Azam's name was second from the top in the committee," the prosecutor added.
On the fourth day after the 'Operation Searchlight', they expressed their oneness with Pakistan in a statement saying, "this operation was justified, otherwise, Pakistan would have been divided," he said.
Pakistani authority formed different associate committees like 'Rajakar', 'Al Badr', 'Al Shams', 'Pioneer Force', 'Mujaheed Bahini' etc with direct assistance of Azam. He recruited people for these committees and managed arms," Dasgupta added.
The investigation coordinator said as a key player, Azam had damaged the country in two ways: first by leading the infamous, 'Peace Committees' and secondly by collaborating with the Pakistan Army.
Investigator Matiur Rahman said there was compelling evidence against Azam illustrating his guilt.
"He led the Peace Committee and was also the chief of Jamaat-e-Islami in [1971]. He gave all the orders."
He also advocated in Pakistan's support in the Middle Eastern countries during the war, according to the report.
He stayed in London for seven years after 1971 and came back to Bangladesh during the rule of Ziaur Rahman in 1978. He led Jamaat as its Ameer until 2000.
Trials of war crimes against Jamaat chief Matiur Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Mohammed Mojaheed, Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, Abdul Kader Molla and BNP leaders Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury and Abdul Alim are currently ongoing.
They face charges of crimes against humanity, murder, rape, vandalism, setting fire.
Charges were framed against Jamaat's central executive committee member Delwar Hossain Sayedee on Oct 3. Tribunal has already begun recording witnesses' testimonies.
"He was responsible for the atrocities caused by the Pakistan army and its associates from then on. Everything was done under his leadership. We got elements to frame charges against him from the investigation agency's report," he added.
"Ghulam Azam was involved in the killing of 38 people who were pulled out of prison on an Eid night during the liberation war in Branmanbaria's Kairtal area," the prosecutor said replying to a media query.
Prosecutor Zead Al-Malum had submitted an investigation report to the tribunal on Nov 1.
The appeal was made on Monday after chief prosecutor Ghulam Arieff Tipoo submitted a 52-point charter of charges to the three-judge tribunal headed by Justice Nizamul Huq on Monday.
The tribunal accepted the charges and forwarded the submission to the court's registrar.
After formal submission of the charges to the registrar, the prosecution would now urge the tribunal to arrest Azam, the prosecution said.
On Nov 1, the prosecution informed the court that they had received an investigation report on 89-year old Azam and that they were working on it. They had also handed in a copy of the report for the tribunal's record.
The chief coordinator of the tribunal's investigation unit Abdul Hannan Khan said that they had recommended his arrest in the report.
"There are 40 witnesses in the 360-page report on Ghulam Azam and over 400 documents."
He also pointed out that since the alleged crimes were committed 40 years ago, the investigators had collected all kinds of documents available from those times, in addition to witness testimonies.
The prosecution brought formal charges against Azam with a recommendation to issue a warrant for his arrest. "There will be a hearing about the arrest warrant if the tribunal takes the charges into cognisance," prosecutor Syed Haider Ali told .
Tipoo told journalists that the submission of formal charges against the former Jamaat chief "reflected people's desire" to see the war criminals tried.
The prosecution has evidence of Azam's direct involvement with more than 100 crimes in 52 different incidents. "We have elaborately presented the investigation agency's report in the court," he said.
Prosecutor Rana Dasgupta alleged that Ghulam Azam had been on good terms with the Pakistani military government before and after the 1970's election.
A few days after the 70's election, Azam and leaders of different political parties, who were defeated in the election, met then Gen Tikka Khan – who was known as the Butcher of Bengal and the martial law administrator – and decided to form the 'Peace Committee', he said.
On the third day of 'Operation Searchlight', a night when hundreds of thousands innocent people were massacred, a peace committee of 140 members headed by Khwaja Khairuddin was formed. The following day, another six-member committee was formed to supervise their activities. "Ghulam Azam's name was second from the top in the committee," the prosecutor added.
On the fourth day after the 'Operation Searchlight', they expressed their oneness with Pakistan in a statement saying, "this operation was justified, otherwise, Pakistan would have been divided," he said.
Pakistani authority formed different associate committees like 'Rajakar', 'Al Badr', 'Al Shams', 'Pioneer Force', 'Mujaheed Bahini' etc with direct assistance of Azam. He recruited people for these committees and managed arms," Dasgupta added.
The investigation coordinator said as a key player, Azam had damaged the country in two ways: first by leading the infamous, 'Peace Committees' and secondly by collaborating with the Pakistan Army.
Investigator Matiur Rahman said there was compelling evidence against Azam illustrating his guilt.
"He led the Peace Committee and was also the chief of Jamaat-e-Islami in [1971]. He gave all the orders."
He also advocated in Pakistan's support in the Middle Eastern countries during the war, according to the report.
He stayed in London for seven years after 1971 and came back to Bangladesh during the rule of Ziaur Rahman in 1978. He led Jamaat as its Ameer until 2000.
Trials of war crimes against Jamaat chief Matiur Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Mohammed Mojaheed, Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, Abdul Kader Molla and BNP leaders Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury and Abdul Alim are currently ongoing.
They face charges of crimes against humanity, murder, rape, vandalism, setting fire.
Charges were framed against Jamaat's central executive committee member Delwar Hossain Sayedee on Oct 3. Tribunal has already begun recording witnesses' testimonies.
"He was responsible for the atrocities caused by the Pakistan army and its associates from then on. Everything was done under his leadership. We got elements to frame charges against him from the investigation agency's report," he added.
"Ghulam Azam was involved in the killing of 38 people who were pulled out of prison on an Eid night during the liberation war in Branmanbaria's Kairtal area," the prosecutor said replying to a media query.
Prosecutor Zead Al-Malum had submitted an investigation report to the tribunal on Nov 1.
0 comments:
Post a Comment