Dhaka, Oct 3 (bdnews24.com) - Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee facing charges of crimes against humanity during the 1971 independence war has been indicted by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).
The tribunal framed the charges on Monday after Sayedee was produced before the three-member panel of judges around 10:30am amid tight security. The trial will start from Oct 30, the tribunal announced.
Describing the 4,000-page charge-sheet placed against him as 'untrue', Sayedee denied the charges. The prosecutors brought 31 accusations against the Jamaat leader, based on which 20 charges were framed by the court. Sayedee's lawyer Tajul Islam also claimed that the procedure to frame charges was 'baseless'.
Earlier, a prison van carrying Sayedee from the Dhaka Central Jail reached the tribunal located in the old High Court building at Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue around 9:45am. While framing charges, the tribunal specifically pointed out 20 incidents after narrating the contexts behind the liberation war and its history and said the report dubbed Sayedee as a member of the Rajakar forces.
Charges against Sayedee, who was known as 'Deilla Razakar' in his area during the war, relate to involvement in killing of more that 3,000 unarmed people, rape of more than nine women, arson, forcing Hindus to convert their religion, looting and other crimes against humanity. The crimes were committed in Pirojpur's Mohakuma area.
When the charges were being read out in English, Sayedee's lawyer Tajul Islam stood up and urged the court to have them read out in Bengali. But Sayedee, who was in the dock, said, "I can understand what is being said. Please continue."
After the charges were read out, the court asked Sayedee whether he was guilty of these charges. In response, the Jamaat leader said, "I will to talk to my lawyer."
After the court informed Sayedee that he could not consult his lawyer at that time, the Jamaat leader asked permission to give a speech which the court granted. In the eight-minute speech that followed, Sayedee said that the charges were not true. The court then framed the charges and fixed Oct 30 for starting the trial. It also asked the prosecution and the defence to submit a list of their witnesses by then.
Of the seven Jamaat and BNP leaders facing the war crimes charges, Alim is on conditional bail while the remaining six are behind bars.