Dhaka court rejects Jamaat challenge to war tribunal judges
By IANSTuesday, July 27, 2010
DHAKA - The High Court here Tuesday summarily rejected a writ petition challenging the appointment of two judges to Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal set up for trying the 1971 “war crimes”.
The challenge came from a lawyer, who is a senior member of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) whose top brass has been arraigned before the tribunal that began its work Sunday.
JeI chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid and senior assistant secretary generals Muhammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Molla are the first batch of those being brought to trial for targeting unarmed civilians during the freedom movement.
They are accused of belonging to Islamist militia Al Badr that engaged in rape, loot and murder of the sympathisers of the freedom movement and religious minorities.
A division bench passed the order rejecting the appointment of two high court judges to the tribunal, one as its chairman and the other as its member.
Abdur Razzaq, a central leader of the JeI and counsel for petitioners, told The Daily Star newspaper that he will appeal against the order.
The four were earlier arrested and slapped with five charges including sedition.
Another Dhaka court Tuesday rejected bail prayers by the four detained JeI leaders.
