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Kamaruzzaman dodges charges
Staff Correspondent
Investigators yesterday claimed that they have enough evidence of war crimes against Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman.
During a marathon interrogation yesterday, the Jamaat leader denied any wrongdoing.
The investigators said they are convinced that they would be able to prove the charges against the accused in court based on his response during the day-long interrogation in a safe house of Dhanmondi.
He [Kamaruzzaman] tried to dodge the charges when we placed the supportive evidence but we are convinced that he indirectly admitted his involvement in the crimes, M Sanaul Huq, acting coordinator of the investigation agency, told The Daily Star.
A four-member investigation team quizzed Kamaruzzaman, an assistant secretary general of Jamaat, on his involvement in crimes against humanity and genocide at city's Mirpur, and Jamalpur, Sherpur and Mymensingh during the Liberation War.
We placed evidence...print materials, video clips and witnesses' statements before the accused and he responded to those, the investigator told reporters.
Sanaul said they took notes and recorded the response of Kamaruzzaman during the interrogation and they will place those before the International Crimes Tribunal. He said they will be able to place the investigation report before the tribunal soon.
Kamaruzzaman was arrested on July 13 last year on war crimes charges. The International Crimes Tribunal on June 1 this year allowed the investigation agency to interrogate him for a day at the safe house.
Investigators started interrogating Kamaruzzaman around 10:00am and continued till 5:00pm with a lunch break around 1:00pm. Earlier, he was taken to the safe house from Dhaka Central Jail around 9:00am.
The investigators will quiz another top Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Molla at the house today.
Jamaat and many of its leaders several times said there was no Liberation War in 1971. They claimed it was a civil war and a war between India and Pakistan. They also said none of their leaders were involved in Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams, responsible for many atrocities during the war.
Meanwhile, Kamaruzzaman's lawyer Tajul Islam alleged that his client was harassed by the investigators before and during the interrogation.
Quoting Meer Ahmed Bin Kashem, another lawyer of the accused who was inside the safe house during interrogation, Tajul said a lamp was kept in front of him while there was no ventilation in the interrogation room.
He also alleged that an investigator pushed Kamaruzzaman when he was getting off a vehicle that took him to the safe house.
Sanaul, however, denied the allegations and said there was nothing unusual in the room and there was no pushing or shoving. He said his lawyer and a doctor were in the next room during the interrogation.
Five Jamaat and two BNP leaders are now detained in connection with war crimes.
Kamaruzzaman dodges charges
What will happen to this man as per Bangladesh justice system?