Tomorrow Mujahid's verdict Jamaat strikes again

The Dhaka Times Desk The verdict in the case of Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid accused of 71 crimes against humanity will be announced tomorrow on Wednesday. Jamaat has called a morning-evening hartal tomorrow in protest of this verdict.

The three-member tribunal headed by Chairman Justice Obaidul Hasan left Mujahid's case pending (CAV) as the judicial process ended on June 5.

How the proceedings of the case started

Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid was arrested on June 29, 2010 in a case of hurting religious sentiments. On August 2 of that year, he was arrested on charges of crimes against humanity.

On January 16, 2012, the prosecution submitted a formal charge of 6,680 pages including 109 pages of 34 different incidents against Mujahid in Tribunal-1 on charges of crimes against humanity. In the official complaint, Mujahid was accused of involvement in anti-human activities including killing of common people, genocide, looting and arson and killing of intellectuals throughout the country including Faridpur and Dhaka during the liberation war. The tribunal took cognizance of the official complaint on January 26.

On April 25, Tribunal-1 chairman Justice Nizamul Haque transferred the case to the second tribunal in view of the prosecution's application.

On June 21 of last year, Tribunal-2 formed a complaint against Mujahid on 7 specific charges. On July 19, Chief Prosecutor Golam Arif Tipu, Prosecutor Mokhlesur Rahman Badal and Mir Iqbal Hossain presented a 29-page opening statement against Mujahid. 17 witnesses of the state, including investigation officer Abdur Razzak, have given evidence against Mujahid.

Among them, the witnesses of the incident are writer and journalist Shahriar Kabir, Zahiruddin Jalal alias Bicchu Jalal, a member of the guerrilla forces during the liberation war, journalist Mahbub Kamal, journalist Shaheen Reza Noor, son of martyred journalist Sirajuddin Hossain, Md. Rustom Ali Mollah, Abdul Malek Miah, Ranjit Kumar Nath alias Babunath, Md. Abu Yusuf Pakhi, Mir Lutfar Rahman, AKM Habibul Haque Munnu, Faiz Uddin Ahmed, Chittaranjan Saha and Shakti Saha. And the witnesses of the seizure list are the assistant librarian of Bangla Academy. Ejab Uddin, Chief Documentation Officer of Liberation War Museum Amena Khatun and Curator of National Museum Swapan Kumar. Defense lawyers have completed their cross-examination.

On the other hand, on May 5, his younger son Ali Ahmad Mabrur testified as the only witness for Mujahid. Although the tribunal fixed the number of witnesses to be 3, the accused could not present any other witnesses.

From last 6th to 16th May and 4th and 5th June in total 6 working days, the prosecutor presented arguments on behalf of the state. Turin Afroz and Prosecutor Mohlesur Rahman Badal. And during 6 working days from May 22 to June 4, his chief lawyer Barrister Abdur Razzak, lawyer Munshi Ahsan Kabir and advocate Mizanur Rahman presented arguments on behalf of Mujahid. Source: Bangladesh News24.com.

Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami has called for morning-evening nationwide strike tomorrow to protest this verdict.