ICT-1 Chairman Justice ATM Fazle Kabir expressed concern in court on
Tuesday, ordering the Chief Prosecutor Gulam Arif Tipu to arrange
adequate security for the witnesses.
Prosecution witness Mostafa Howlader, 55, who had testified against Sayedee, was hacked by assailants on Dec 7.
The attackers had broken into his house at Hoglabunia village of Pirozpur’s Zianagar Upazila. His wife Hasina Begum was injured while trying to save her husband.
Mostafa succumbed to his injuries at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital at 2:30am Monday.
The ICT-1 chairman after scheduling a new date for hearing a
plea by Jamaat leader ATM Ajharul Izlam asked chief prosecutor Gulam
Arif Tipu what he knew about the matter.
The judge was visibly angry at the chief prosecutor's tentative replay. “Do not bring witnesses if you can’t give them security,” the judge said.
Prosecutor Mokhlesur Rahman Badol told the tribunal that they had written to the home ministry conveying their fears. Other relevant departments, too, had been contacted.
He asked if security could be arranged through the tribunal.
The judge then directed the prosecution to file a written petition.
The hearing on Jamaat leader ATM Ajharul Islam’s plea to reconsider an charge framing order was scheduled on Tuesday but all senior defence lawyers refrained from coming to court citing security reasons due to the Jamaat’s strike and the Opposition’s blockade.
The tribunal rescheduled the hearing for Dec 15 in response to a plea by defence lawyer SM Raihanuddin.
It also permitted in-camera trial for one of the three prosecution witnesses in the ATM Ajhar case.
The prosecution had earlier on Dec 5 requested in-camera trials for the three witnesses because of security concerns.
Prosecution witness Mostafa Howlader, 55, who had testified against Sayedee, was hacked by assailants on Dec 7.
The attackers had broken into his house at Hoglabunia village of Pirozpur’s Zianagar Upazila. His wife Hasina Begum was injured while trying to save her husband.
Mostafa succumbed to his injuries at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital at 2:30am Monday.
The judge was visibly angry at the chief prosecutor's tentative replay. “Do not bring witnesses if you can’t give them security,” the judge said.
Prosecutor Mokhlesur Rahman Badol told the tribunal that they had written to the home ministry conveying their fears. Other relevant departments, too, had been contacted.
He asked if security could be arranged through the tribunal.
The judge then directed the prosecution to file a written petition.
The hearing on Jamaat leader ATM Ajharul Islam’s plea to reconsider an charge framing order was scheduled on Tuesday but all senior defence lawyers refrained from coming to court citing security reasons due to the Jamaat’s strike and the Opposition’s blockade.
The tribunal rescheduled the hearing for Dec 15 in response to a plea by defence lawyer SM Raihanuddin.
It also permitted in-camera trial for one of the three prosecution witnesses in the ATM Ajhar case.
The prosecution had earlier on Dec 5 requested in-camera trials for the three witnesses because of security concerns.
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