Kamaruzzaman’s counsel to cross examine Aug 5

DHAKA: The 8th prosecution witness in war crimes related case against Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman will be cross-examined Wednesday at International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-2.

The 3-member ICT-led by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir fixed the date Monday.

The defense counsel will cross examine eighth witness freedom fighter Ziaul Islam on the day.

On June 4, ICT-2 framed charge against Kamaruzzaman for killing, torturing and forcing many people to leave the country.

“This tribunal hereby charges you (Kamaruzzaman) on seven counts of crimes against humanity, rejecting your discharge petition having no substantial merit,” pronounced chairman of the three-judge tribunal Justice ATM Fazle Kabir.

The tribunal earlier read out the prosecution charges in line with the practice of the procedure asked Kamaruzzaman if he was “guilty” when he in loud voice gave a “political statement” denying the war crimes allegations against him calling them “motivated, baseless and imaginary”.

The prosecution lawyers earlier said the suspect was a principal organizer of the pro-Pakistan force called Al Badr in the northern Mymensingh region which subsequently carried out atrocities and mass murders also elsewhere in the country, siding with the Pakistani troops.

Kamaruzzaman, assistant secretary general of the extreme rightwing party, was the sixth detained war crime suspect who was indicted since the war crimes trial process was initiated two years ago.

BDST: 1845 HRS, SEP 17, 2012
Edited by: Abul Kalam Azad, Newsroom Editor/ M. Mahbub Alam, Asst Output Editor