Jamaat leader ATM Azharul Islam was on Tuesday handed a six-count indictment for his alleged complicity in 1971 crimes against humanity.
Standing in the dock throughout the hearing in the International Crimes Tribunal-1, Azhar, 60, pleaded not guilty of the multiple charges of genocide, killings, abductions, confinement, torture, rape, looting and arson attacks for which he was indicted.
Just like the previous day’s hearing there was no chair in the dock forcing Azhar to keep standing.
The presiding judge, Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, issued the indictment order in a full court hearing attended by Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Md Anwarul Haque.
Azhar is accused of superior responsibility in the 1971 crimes against humanity.
He became the 15th accused to face war crimes trial in independent Bangladesh.
Azhar’s formal trial commences on December 5 with the prosecution making its opening statement detailing
the charges to be followed by prosecution witness testimonies.
The tribunal directed Yusuf’s lawyers to submit a list of defence witnesses, if any, and the documents they intend to rely upon, by December 5.
Azhar is a native of Batason Lohanipara, Badrganj in Rangpur.
On August 22, 2012, Azhar was arrested at his Moghbazar home on war crimes charges.
‘All the charges brought against me was baseless, false, irrelevant, politically motivated reflecting a deep conspiracy against me,’ he said.
‘No case or general diary was filed against me anywhere in the country in past 41 years,’ he said.
‘If I was not a Jamaat leader, I would not face the charges. I am absolutely innocent,’ Azhar pleaded.
He was indicted on the charges of abduction of 11 persons including Liberation War organizer AY Mahfuz Ali from Rangpur headquarters on March 27, 1971, torturing and killing them on April 3, 1971 at Dakhiganj cremation ground at Rangpur district town.
He faces the charge of genocide for killing 15 unarmed innocent people of Dhappara in Badarganj, Rangpur on April 16, 1971.
Azhar faces another genocide charge for killing over 1,200 unarmed innocent Bangalis at Jharuarbil area under Badrganj in Rangpur.
He faces the charges of abducting four teachers and wife of a teacher of Rangpur Carmichael College from their college campus residences on April 30, 1971 and killing them near Domdoma Bridge, abducting, torturing and raping women keeping them confined at Rangpur Town Hall from March 25 to December 16, 1971.
Azhar also faces the charge of torturing a man at Guptapara in Rangpur town in mid-November, 1971 and abducting another person on December 1, 1971 from Betpotti in the district town and confining and torturing him at Muslim Chattrabas of Rangpur College.
He was the president of the Rangpur unit Islami Chattra Sangha, the erstwhile student wing of Jamaat, and was in command of the Rangpur district unit Al-Badr during the war, according to the prosecution.
On July 18, the prosecution submitted the formal charges against Azhar on six charges of crimes against humanity he allegedly committed in Rangpur during the War of Independence in 1971.
-With New Age input
