BANGLADESH

The war crimes tribunal on Sunday adjourned indictment hearing proceedings against Jamaat chief Matiur Rahman Nizami for the day, saying it will pass an order on Monday regarding a defence prayer seeking a longer adjournment of the case.

The International Crimes Tribunal, set up to try crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, was expected to hear charges against the Jamaat-e-Islami chief on Sunday.
The tribunal chief Nizamul Huq adjourned the proceedings on Sunday upon an application from Nizami's counsellor Abdur Razzaq who said that the defence had not been able to prepare adequately and prayed for a four-week adjournment.

The senior defence counsel said that there were thousands of pages in several volumes which his team could not finish perusing. Furthermore, the counsel said there were 416 pages of illegible photocopies.

The tribunal asked the defence to file another application regarding those pages and said that it would pass on order the next day after having considered both the applications.

Prosecutor Syed Haider Ali said that the prosecution naturally had reservations about the adjournment and requested the tribunal that the trial is not unduly delayed.

Two former army chiefs, K M Safiullah and Harun Ar Rashid, both of them freedom fighters, were also present among a number of visitors.

The tribunal took charges into cognisance against Nizami on Jan 9 and set the indictment hearing to start from Feb 12.

On Dec 11, the prosecution brought formal charges at the tribunal against Nizami, secretary-general Ali Ahsan Mohammed Mojaheed and assistant secretary-general Mohammad Kamaruzzaman.

Trial of the party's executive council member Delwar Hossain Sayedee is also underway at the tribunal with witness depositions being heard.

Jamat assistant secretary-general Abdul Quader Molla and Bangladesh Nationalist Party's standing committee member Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, also a lawmaker, have been detained, for their alleged war crimes.

Former BNP minister Abdul Alim had been freed by the tribunal on conditional bail because of his poor health.