Latest Update: Wednesday7/11/2012November, 2012, 11:51 PM Doha Time
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), set up to try crimes committed during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, yesterday issued a notice on three defence lawyers to show-cause why action should not be taken against them for misconduct in the courtroom and barred one of them from appearing till November 22.
The tribunal directed the three to submit their replies by November 22. The tribunal in its order said already a contempt notice has been issued against one of the lawyers and he is …

Latest Update: Monday5/11/2012November, 2012, 01:19 AM Doha Time
A war crimes tribunal in Bangladesh yesterday ordered the start of the trial against a Jamaat-e-Islami leader on eight charges of crimes against humanity committed during the
Liberation War in 1971.
The three-judge International Crimes Tribunal –2 led by Justice Fazle Kabir framed charges against Abul Kalam Azad, better known as ‘Bachchu Razakar’ and set November 14 for witness deposition to start.
The court also threw away a plea by Azad’s counsels
seeking his acquittal.
The prosecution on September 2 had …

The war crimes trial in Bangladesh did not have any impact on Dhaka-Riyadh relations, Saudi Ambassador Abdullah N Al Bussairy said yesterday.
“It is an internal matter of Bangladesh and it has no impact on our relationship,” he told at a press briefing at his residence in Gulshan.
The government arrested several BNP and Jamaat-e-Islam leaders on alleged charges of crimes against humanity during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
“It is not true that people or workers of Bangladesh will be affected as some are arrested in Bangladesh,” he said.
Bussairy said his country …

Latest Update: Monday15/10/2012October, 2012, 12:14 AM Doha Time
The son of war crimes accused Delwar Hossain Sayedee appeared as a defence witness before the International Crimes tribunal-1 in Dhaka yesterday. While making deposition, Masud Sayedee, 38, who takes care of the case as lobbyist, submitted before the tribunal some documents ‘challenging’ the testimonies made by prosecution witnesses.
Masud also submitted two books – one written by noted novelist Humayun Ahmed, son of martyred Fayezur Rahman, Pirojpur police officer in 1971, and another by Humyun’s mother Ayesha Fayez in support of his …

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh has initiated trial process of six more Jamaat- e-Islami leaders for their suspected involvement in crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.
“A total of 14 people including 12 Jamaat and two Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders are now facing war crimes trial at Tribunal-1 and 2 on allegations of mass killings, rapes, tortures, arson and other offences,” Sanaul Haque, senior investigation officer of the ICT, said yesterday. In the second round of trial, …

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday was adjourned within five minutes without holding any proceedings as a dispute has resulted over its present strength following the resignation of its judge AKM Zaheer Ahmed, a retired district judge.
As the tribunal resumed at 10.35am with only its chairman Justice M Nizamul Huq, a defence counsel for Jamaat-e-Islami war crimes accused moved a petition referring to section 6 (1) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973.
The relevant section says, “The government may, by notification in the official gazette, set up one or more tribunals, …

Thursday30/8/2012August, 2012, 12:06 AM Doha
By Our Correspondent
Dhaka
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday was adjourned within five minutes without holding any proceedings as a dispute has resulted over its present strength following the resignation of its judge AKM Zaheer Ahmed, a retired district judge.
As the tribunal resumed at 10.35am with only its chairman Justice M Nizamul Huq, a defence counsel for Jamaat-e-Islami war crimes accused moved a petition referring to section 6 (1) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973.
The relevant section says, “The government may, by notification in the official …

The International Crimes Tribunal – 2 (ICT-2) yesterday rejected a bail petition of Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, jailed for alleged involvement in crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation in 1971.
The three-member tribunal headed by Justice Fazle Kabir turned down the petition saying there was no scope to consider the prayer at the present stage of the case.
The petition was filed mentioning the sickness of Mujahid’s wife and to perform the ‘Itekaf’ in the month of Ramadan.
Opposing the defence plea, the prosecution counsel said these causes …

Sector Commanders Forum (SCF), comprising 1971 war commanders of Bangladesh, yesterday said it will urge the government to scrap provision of appeal to war criminals in higher courts against the verdict of International Crimes Tribunal formed to try the war crime suspects.
Addressing a discussion on ‘War Crimes Trial: Progress and Problem’, Air Vice Marshall (retd) A K Khondokar, forum chairman and planning minister, said: “There is no scope for appeal in any court in the world, including the Nuremberg tribunal, formed to try the war criminals. I don’t know why …

The cross exmination of a witness against Abdul Qader Molla took place before ICT-2. The International Crimes Tribunal -1 rejected a petition of Delwar Hossain Sayeedi seeking review of its order on accepting testi.

The daylong general strike across Bangladesh yesterday forced the International Crimes Tribunals in Dhaka to defer the trial of the 1971 war criminals.
The shutdown was enforced by main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its 18-party alliance.
Police could not comply with the International Crimes Tribunals’ (ICT) earlier orders to produce the accused persons in the docks due to `risk factor’ on the roads during shutdown hours, tribunal sources said.
Both the two tribunals sat after delaying for some time, but the respective counsel for the accused did not appear before the …

Although the Bangladesh government emphasises quick disposal of war crimes cases, the newly formed International Crimes Tribunal-2 sits idle as it has no case to deal with.
“The ICT-2 has no case right now to deal with as only one out of three scrutinised war crimes cases has been transferred to it from the ICT-1 so far,” ICT deputy registrar Mesbahuddin Ahmed told newsmen
yesterday.
It will take time for the ICT-2 for taking up the case already transferred to it as relevant formalities and procedures are yet to be completed, said a …