Summons on Nizami, Mojaheed, 34 withdrawn
Dhaka May 13 (bdnews24.com) A Dhaka court on Wednesday withdrew summons on appeal by plaintiffs on former Jamaat-e-Islami chief Golam Azam, incumbent chief Matiur Rahman Nizami, secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammed Mojaheed, BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury and 32 others to appear in court on July 20.
Dhaka ninth additional district judge Iftekhar Ahmed retracted the summons he had served on Monday over a civil suit filed last year seeking court orders declaring them 'war criminals' and barring them from running elections.
The plaintiffs in the appeal said since the government was initiating the process to try war crimes in 1971 so they were withdrawing the charges.
The 36 were to explain why they should not be declared "war criminals" for the crimes they had committed during Bangladesh's war of independence from Pakistan in 1971.
State minister for law Kamrul Islam said on Monday the process of forming a tribunal, appointing investigating agency and lawyers in line with International Crime (Tribunal) Act 1973 was finalised.
"At this moment, cases should not be filed against them (alleged perpetrators) sporadically."
The minister had said that there was no need to file cases in court. "The government's decision to hold the trial will be considered as the first information report."
Salahuddin Quadet Chowdhury is the parliamentary affairs adviser to main opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia.
Advocates Liton Mia, Safayet Hossain Sajib and Rajib Ahmed filed the petition with Dhaka District Judge's Court on Nov 13, 2008, a month before the general elections. .
The chief election commissioner, Election Commission secretary and Dhaka deputy commissioner were also made defendants in the case.
The litigants in the petition said the 36 were 'war criminals' according to International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973, the relevant law on 1949 Geneva Convention and the Representation of People Order (Amendment) 2008.
They said the 36 were identified as war criminals after the war though they were yet to be brought to justice.
Azam, Nizami, Mojahid were among those who had formed militia outfits such Al Badr, Al Shams and Rajakar, and aided and abetted the Pakistan army in the killing of around 30 lakh people and rape of nearly 3 lakh women, the suit said.
The complaint added they had also killed scores of intellectuals on Dec 14, 1971, two days before the final victory.
The others who had been summoned are AKM Yousuf, Delwar Hossain Saeedi, Md Kamaruzzaman, Abdul Qader Molla, Mir Kashem Ali, Abul Kalam Azad, Khawaza Khairuddin, Mahmud Ali, Md Abdul Alim, ASM Solaiman, Zulmat Ali Khan, Kazi Quader, Shah Mohammad Azizur Rahman, ABM Khaleque Majumder, ANM Yousuf, AQA Shafiul Islam, Abdul Matin, advocate Md Ainuddin, Golam Sarowar, Maulana Abdus Sobahan, retired captain Abdur Based, Abdul Matin Bhuyian, Md Abdul Kashem, Obaidullah Majumder, engineer Abdul Zabbar, barrister Korban Ali, Ashraf Hossain, advocate Ansar Ali, Md Kaisar, Abdul Mazid Talukder and AK Mosharef Hossain.
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