DHAKA, Jan 22, 2018 (BSS) – The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 today adjourned passing order on indictment against 17 Maheshkhali war crimes accused, till February 26.
“Justice Md Shahinur Islam, chairman of the three-member panel of the ICT-1, passed the order accepting appearance by an engaged lawyer of accused Md Rashid Miah, who is on bail and under treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH),” defence counsel Abdus Sattar Palwan told BSS.
“I submitted an application pleading to accept appearance of my counsel, who is now critically ill and admitted in Coronary Care Unit (CCU) at DMCH. The tribunal accepted my plea but had to adjourn the proceedings as the accused has to be present before the court during the pronouncement of the indictment order,” Palwan added.
The other 16 accused in the case are- Moulovi Nurul Islam, Salamot Ullah Khan, Badsha Mia, Osman Gani, Moulovi Zakaria Sikdar, Oli Ahmad, Jalal Uddin alias Jalal Ahmed, Md Saiful alias Sabul, Momtaz Ahmed, Habibur Rahman alias Habib Munshi, Moulovi Amjad Ali, Ramiz Hassan, Abdus Shukur, Md Zakaria, Moulovi Jalal and Abdul Aziz.
Of them Salamat, Rashid, Nurul Islam, Badsha, Osman Gani, were arrested and accept Rashid all are in jail. Rashid is now on bail on health ground.
Earlier on March 15, 2016, the prosecution submitted the formal charge in the case, pressing 12 charges against the accused.
The investigation agency of the ICT while probing the crimes committed by Cox’s Bazar Razakar kingpins Salamat, Rashid and Zakaria, found the involvement of othersin the crimes against humanity and acting on their plea, the tribunal had issued warrants for their arrest.