Dhaka: Argument in case filed against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and two others on charge of crimes against humanity will begin at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) here tomorrow. After completion of the argument, this case would be ready for judgment, ICT sources said here today.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, a three-member court of the ICT-1 led by Justice Golam Mortuza Majumder fixed the date for arguments after completing the depositions of the last prosecution witness and Investigation Officer (IO) of the case, Md Alamgir. Of the total 54 prosecution witnesses, members of the martyred families, including the father of martyred Abu Sayeed, convener of National Citizen's Party Nahid Islam, and daily Amar Desh editor Dr. Mahmudur Rahman, gave their depositions before the tribunal.
Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam and Prosecutors Mizanul Islam and Gazi M H Tamim represented the state in this case, while state-appointed lawyer Advocate Amir Hossain represented fugitive accused Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. Additionally, Advocate Zayed Bin Amjad represented another accused, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, who gave a confessional statement and became a state approver.
The ICT-1 on July 10 last framed charges of the case for their alleged involvement in crimes against humanity during last year's July-August uprising. Besides this case, two more cases are pending before the tribunal against Sheikh Hasina for her involvement in killings and enforced disappearances during her 15 and a half years of rule and a massacre at a rally of Hefajat Islam in the city's Motijheel Shapla Chattar.
Two separate tribunals have been trying the allegations of crimes against humanity against Sheikh Hasina, her government, the party's top leaders, and a section of government officials loyal to her after the fall of her government on August 5 last year.