International Crimes Tribunal-2 yesterday decided to hold the trial of war crimes accused Abul Kalam Azad "in absentia" for his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War.The three-member tribunal headed by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir took the decision as expelled Jamaat-e-Islami
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The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka
The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an
independentbranch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores...
member Azad, also known as Bachchu Razakar, did not appear before it even after publication of newspaper advertisements to this effect.
This is the first time that one of the war crimes tribunals has decided to hold a trial in the absence of an accused since the formation of the International Crimes Tribunal on March 25, 2010. The trial of eight other war crimes suspects is now pending with the two tribunals.
On September 23, the tribunal directed the authorities concerned to publish an advert in two national dailies asking Azad to appear before it within 10 days of the publication.
Sahidur Rahman, the conducting prosecutor of the case, yesterday told the tribunal the advertisements were published accordingly in two national dailies -- The Daily Star and Bangla daily Janakantha -- on September 25.
Afterwards, the tribunal in its order said it appeared that in spite of the publication of a notice in newspapers, the accused had remained absconding and could not be tossed in the slammer
Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please!
and there was no immediate prospect of arresting him.
As per the act and rules of procedure of the tribunal, the trial of the accused would commence and be held "in absentia," said the tribunal chairman.
Azad, also a former leader of Islami Chhatra Sangha, the then student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami in Faridpur, went into hiding around seven hours before Tribunal-2 issued an arrest warrant against him on April 3.
The tribunal yesterday also appointed Supreme Court lawyer Abdus Sukur Khan as "state defence" for defending Azad in the case and directed the chief prosecutor to supply formal charges and other documents to the state defence through the registrar of the tribunal by October 11.
The tribunal will pass a "further order" in this regard on the day.
On September 9, the tribunal took into cognisance formal charges filed against Azad and issued an arrest warrant for the second time.
As the law enforcers could not arrest Azad within September 23, the advertisements were published as per the tribunal's directive.
On July 26, the investigation agency completed its enquiry and found Azad's involvement in the killing of at least 14 people and two acts of genocide in Faridpur during the War.