AL should be brought under trial as party: Nahid Islam
Convener of National Citizen Party (NCP) and July Movement leader Nahid Islam today said Awami League (AL), as a party, should be brought under trial as soon as possible.
He made the comment while talking to reporters after giving testimony and cross-examination in a case of crimes against humanity, committed during the July-August mass uprising, against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and three others.
Nahid said the Awami League should be brought under trial as a party and there are scopes for doing that.
"We will also appeal to the tribunal. The tribunal has now received sufficient evidence. Sheikh Hasina, as the party chief, decided to go against
the people and kill them to seize power politically and remain in power. The people overthrew her through resistance.
"As a result, this was a crime committed by the Awami League politically. So, they should be brought to justice as a party as soon as possible," he added.
The three-member International Crimes Tribunal-1, headed by Justice Golam Mortuza Majumder, concluded the cross-examination of Nahid Islam today after he testified as the 47th witness.
Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam, and Prosecutors Mizanul Islam and Gazi SH Tamim conducted the hearing for the prosecution. Other prosecutors were also present during the hearing.
State-appointed lawyer Amir Hossain represented the absconding accused Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal in this case.
Lawyer Zayed Bin Amjad represented former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who was arrested in this case and later became an approver.
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 framed charges against Sheikh Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun on July 10 and ordered the start of the trial in this case of crimes against humanity.
At one stage, the tribunal approved the application of former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun to become an approver to uncover the truth of the incident by pleading guilty in this case. Later, he testified as the 36th witness in this case.
Apart from this case, there are two other cases against Sheikh Hasina in the tribunal. In one of the cases, she has been accused of disappearances and murders during the reign of the Awami League.
The other case was filed for committing killings at a Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel in the capital.
Many allegations were filed that the Awami League government, its party cadres and the government-loyal administration, as well as a section of the law enforcement forces, committed genocide and crimes against humanity in suppressing the student-people movement in July-August in 2024.
Trials of these crimes are underway in two international crimes tribunals.