WAR CRIMES TRIAL

New Age Online

The state defence lawyer for runaway war crimes accused Abdul Jabbar Engineer on Monday concluded his closing arguments insisting that his client was not involved in any crimes against humanity during Bangladesh’s war of independence.The lawyer, Mohammad Abul Hasan, acknowledged that there were atrocities in 1971 but claimed that the accused ‘had no involvement in those.’Jabbar, also a former Jatiya Part lawmaker, is facing the trial in absentia on five counts of crimes against humanity.The lawyer argued that the prosecution witnesses had testified that Jabbar had addressed a meeting on May 16, 1971 and made some orders to his Razakar Bahini men that provoked the Bahini members to commit crimes against humanity.
The defence lawyer also argued that the Razakar Bahini was formed in August 1971 and that is why commanding them to commit crimes (in May) before the force was formed makes any sense.

He claimed that neither the Razakar Bahini nor his client was involved in the crimes for which his client is facing the trial.The defence lawyer cited some inconsistencies in the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses and then sought to discredit the witnesses.As his submission on factual aspects ended, the tribunal adjourned the hearing till December 3 when the defence lawyer is supposed to place his arguments on the legal points.

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