[Bangla Daily Star] The International Crimes Tribunal has dismissed Jamaat-e-Islami...
The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka
The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an
independentbranch there since 1975. It close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores...
leader Delwar Hossain Sayeedi's
...Islamic orator and politician. He was a former Member of Parliament in the National Assembly of Bangladesh from 1996 to 2008, and is one of the most prominent leaders of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami...
plea that its chairman Justice Nizamul Huq can become biased against him in the ongoing war crimes trial.
In its order yesterday the three-member tribunal called Sayedee's petition against its chairman "contemptuous, outrageous, and unheard of".
Sayedee, Nayeb-e-Ameer of Jamaat, is the first to stand trial from among the seven Jamaat and BNP leaders facing charges of crimes against humanity such as genocide, murder, rape, arson and torture during the Liberation War.
The ICT charged Sayedee with 20 counts of crimes by the tribunal on October 3. The charges include genocide, killing, rape, arson, abduction and torture of civilians during the war, which Sayedee denies as "politically motivated".
The tribunal has drawn international attention in its enormous task to bring to justice those who killed or raped innocent civilians and collaborated with the Mighty Pak Army during Bangladesh's nine-month War of Liberation against Pakistain in 1971.
The Mighty Pak Army and its local collaborators are accused of killing 30 lakh civilians and raping 2 lakh women in one of the history's worst genocide.
Welcoming the trials, international war crimes experts and rights groups have, however, called for ensuing that the proceedings are fair and transparent. The prosecutors have promised free and fair trials.
On November 16, Sayedee petitioned the tribunal expressing doubt about the impartiality of Justice Nizamul. He cited the judge's involvement with the non-government People's Enquiry Commission that investigated war crimes allegations against Sayedee and some others in 1993-94.
Sayedee's lawyers earlier urged Justice Nizamul to step down as chairman of the tribunal to ensure what they said a fair trial.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam disagreed with the defence saying
Sayedee's petition is tantamount to contempt of court as he himself is an accused.
The tribunal headed by Justice Nizamul said yesterday the defence failed to prove bias and partiality of its chairman during the proceedings against Sayedee.
The defence also failed to prove that Justice Nizamul was involved in investigating war crimes allegations as a member in the secretariat of the commission, which has no legal standing, the tribunal said.
Sayedee, the tribunal observed, did not say anything against the chairman at the start of the trial proceedings against him.
It pronounced the order for more than one hour, saying that Justice Nizamul Huq is a judge of the Supreme Court, and all the judges remain neutral and impartial after taking oath as per provisions of constitution.
The court also observed that submitting such a petition seeking explanation on a judge's continuing to discharging functions is unprecedented in the history of judiciary in the country.
Sayedee's counsel Barrister Tanvir Ahmed Al Amin refused to make any comment on yesterday's order.
Meanwhile,
...back at the game, the Babe was wondering why the baseball kept getting bigger and bigger. Finally it hit him...
prosecutor Sayed Haider Ali told news hounds that they will decide about filing a contempt of court case against Sayedee and his counsels after getting the copy of the order.