Desk Report:
Nahid Islam, convener of the Jatiya Nagorik Party and leader of the July Movement, said that the Awami League should be brought to justice as a party as soon as possible.
He told reporters at the International Crimes Tribunal premises on Sunday (September 21) after giving testimony and questioning in the case of crimes against humanity committed during the July-August 24 mass uprising against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and three others.
Nahid Islam said, “The Awami League should be brought to justice as a party, there is an opportunity for that. We will also appeal to the tribunal. The tribunal has now received sufficient information and evidence. Sheikh Hasina, as the party chief, decided to go against the people and kill them to politically assert her absolute power and remain in power. The people resisted and overthrew her. As a result, this is a crime committed by the Awami League politically. Therefore, they should be brought to justice as a group as soon as possible.’
Nahid Islam’s cross-examination ended today after he testified as the 47th witness in the three-member International Crimes Tribunal-1 led by Justice Golam Mortuza Majumder.
Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam, Prosecutor Mizanul Islam and Gazi SH Tamim conducted the hearing for the prosecution in the case. Other prosecutors were also present at the hearing.
State-appointed lawyer Amir Hossain represented the absconding accused Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal in the case. Lawyer Zayed Bin Amjad represented former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who was arrested in the case and later became a royal witness.
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 framed charges against Sheikh Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun on July 10 and ordered the start of the trial in this case of crimes against humanity.
At one stage, the tribunal approved the application of former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun to be a public witness (approver) to uncover the truth of the incident by pleading guilty in the case. Later, public witness Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun testified as the 36th witness in the case.
Apart from this case, the tribunal has two other cases against Sheikh Hasina. In one of them, she has been accused of disappearances and murders during the 15-and-a-half-year rule of the Awami League. The other is for the killings at a Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Square in Motijheel in the capital.
Allegations have been filed one after another that the Awami League government, its party cadres, the government-loyal administration, and a section of the law enforcement agencies committed genocide and crimes against humanity in suppressing the student and public movements in July-August. Trials for these crimes are ongoing in two international crimes tribunals.
