Asks prosecution to resubmit charges by Jan 1 in organised way
The International Crimes Tribunal on Monday returned the charges brought against former Jamaat-e-Islami chief Ghulam Azam regarding his involvement in crimes against humanity, saying the prosecution did not follow proper way in submitting the charges.
The court said it had examined the charges and investigation report, statement of witnesses and the relevant documents submitted by the prosecution against Ghulam Azam and found that the charges brought against him were arranged in a scattered way and those were not specified and classified.
The tribunal categorically said the charges, numbering 52, were not properly organised and submitted in a scattered way.
It directed the chief prosecutor to resubmit the charges against Ghulam Azam in an organised way by January 5 next year.
The tribunal neither held any hearing on the 52 charges brought against Ghulam Azam nor on the petition that sought issuing an arrest warrant.
With a lot of people eyeing on the outcomes of the days proceedings regarding the charges against the high profile Jamaat leader, the ICT ended its days function within a short time.
The prosecution on December 12 submitted 52 war crimes charges against the former Jamaat chief before the tribunal.
The same day, the prosecution also submitted a petition seeking warrant of arrest against him in connection with the charges.
After the tribunal passed the order, Ghulam Azam's chief counsel Barrister Abdur Razzak told reporters that prosecutors have failed to submitted the formal charges against his client in legal way although they have investigated the allegations against him for more than two years.
Meanwhile, chief prosecutor Ghulam Arieff Tipoo told reports that the charges against Ghulam Azam were right but those will have to be rearranged specifically as per the tribunal order.
The formal charges were not properly classified and specified which proved that they have brought the allegations against his client to politically harass him.
The former Jamaat ameer has been charged with 52 counts of crimes against humanity, which include leading mass murder of intellectuals on December 14, 1971 and the killing of 38 prisoners of Brahmanbaria jail.
The charges pressed by the prosecution on the day also held Ghulam Azam responsible for all atrocities committed across the country between March 25 and December 16, 1971.
Barrister Abdur Razzak, the counsel of Ghulam Azam, earlier requested the tribunal not to take the formal charges against his client into cognisance between December 18 and 20.
He said he would not be able to appear before the court on those days due to personal difficulties.
The tribunal, however, assured him of considering his request.
Source: Charges against Ghulam Azam returned



