Kamaruzzaman, Molla to be quizzed at 'safe home'
Wed, Jun 1st, 2011 11:22 am BdST
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Dhaka, June 1 (bdnews24.com) — The investigation wing of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has secured permission to interrogate Jamaat-e-Islami leaders Mohammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Molla at 'safe home'.
The ICT passed the order on Wednesday upon a plea from the investigation panel.
Investigation officers can now interrogate them one day each with their lawyers and physicians present in an adjoining room.
In the plea, prosecutor Syed Rezaur Rahman said, "The investigation into the crimes of Nizami, Mohajeed, Quader and Kamaruzzaman has advanced."
He also said it was necessary to quiz Quader and Kamaruzzaman to cross-check the information found from Nizami and Mojaheed who were grilled earlier.
"More evidences are to come against them. We are getting specific allegations against them for leading and committing crimes against humanity during 1971," he said.
He mentioned that the accused were then Chhatrasangha members.
However, Tajul Islam, lawyer for Quader and Kamaruzzaman, opposed the plea for grilling them.
He said, "The prosecutors are claiming the safe home to be of international standard, whereas it does not meet any standard at all. They managed a house for interrogation but could not act out the Supreme Court order to demonstrate the questioning in a room divided by a glass wall."
To this, the tribunal replied that it was the tribunal which took initiatives to implement the Supreme Court order. A sizeable number of directions were given and more might be come in future.
The tribunal is using a house at Dhanmondi, called 'safe home', to quiz the suspects.
ORDER FOR A FINAL REPORT
Earlier in the day, Jamaat chief Matiur Rahman Nizami and secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed were produced before the tribunal, set up in the old High Court building.
The tribunal ordered its investigation panel to submit a final report on the four war crimes suspects by July 12.
In case of failure to meet the deadline, the panel will have to submit a progress report.
The tribunal on Wednesday rejected appeals for bails of Nizami and Mojaheed. It also directed the jail authorities to provide them with medical treatment facilities.
Mojaheed's lawyer Munsi Ahasan Kabir presented the bail appeal on behalf of him.
During the hearing on the bail, he said, "Mojaheed came from an aristocratic family. His father, who was a parliamentarian during Pakistani rule, was arrested after the Liberation allegedly for collaborating with Pakistanis. But he was released later following direction from our leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman."
Meanwhile, the investigation panel grilled Nizami, Mojaheed and Sayedee.
CENSURED FOR BEING LATE
Prosecutor Rahman submitted the progress report on the investigation into the allegations against the four Jamaat leaders.
Following the submission, the tribunal said the report's Ga, Gha, Uma, Cha and Chha sections repeated the same fact that taking evidences was underway.
The court said it cannot extend the deadline indefinitely.
Rezaur replied, "We do not want to procrastinate for the sake of justice as well.
"It happens that a witness is not found at home, perhaps set out for a visit to in-law's house…and is not found even there, as by the time we arrive there, she or he is already on the way back. This is a reality and we have to face it," he said.
The court, however, said still it could not give indefinite time for the purpose.
This time the tribunal held talks with investigation officer Abdur Razzaque Khan.
Sayedee was taken to the tribunal on Tuesday when it ordered framing of charge against him.
Apart from the five Jamaat leaders, two BNP leaders were also arrested on similar charges since the tribunal was formed on Mar 25 last year.
Of the two BNP leaders, standing committee member Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury is in custody while Abdul Alim, a minister of Ziaur Rahman's cabinet, is on conditional bail.
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