The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) on Thursday allowed five defence witnesses to testify for BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury in relation to his alleged involvement in the crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971. The three-member tribunal, headed by its chairman Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, also set June 17 to start hearing the defence witnesses’ depositions.
Earlier, defence completed the cross-examination of investigation officer Nurul Islam, the 41st and final prosecution witness against the incarcerated BNP lawmaker.
After the conclusion of the cross-examination of Nurul Islam, prosecutor Advocate Zead Al Malum requested the tribunal to overrule the defence’s petition for 1,153 defence witnesses. Defence earlier submitted a list of 1,153 witnesses to testify at the tribunal including two sitting Supreme Court judges along with some other dignitaries.
Hearing arguments from both the parties, the tribunal fixed the number of defence witnesses to five including Salauddin Quader himself.
The tribunal started hearing the deposition against Salauddin Quader on May 14 last year and recorded the testimonies of 41 witnesses.
In addition to that, the tribunal-1 also accepted the statements of four other prosecution witnesses given to the investigation officer as their depositions against Salauddin Quader under section 19 (2) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973.
Educationist Dr Anisuzzaman, freedom fighter Sirajul Islam alias Siru Bengali and the victim of 1971 Nuton Chandra Singh’s son Profullo Ranjan Sing were among the prosecution witnesses against the BNP leader.
Salauddin Quader is charged of crimes against humanity including murder, extermination, torture, rape, confinement, conversion and deportation during the war.
The tribunal framed 23 charges against him on April 4, 2012.
-With The Independent input
