ব্রেকিং নিউজঃ সাকা চৌধুরীর রায় প্রকাশের আগেই কপি ফাস, লিখেছে আইন মন্ত্রনালয় লিখেছেন লিখেছেন মিডিয়া ওয়াচ ৩০ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১৩, ১১:৫৫:৩৪ রাত > বিএনপি স্থায়ী কমিটির সদস্য সালাহউদ্দিন কাদের চৌধুরীর বিরুদ্ধে মামলার রায় লেখা হয়েছে আইন মন্ত্রনালয়ে। সালাহউদ্দিন কাদের চৌধুরীর বিরুদ্ধে আজ আন্তর্জাতিক অপরাধ ট্রাইবুনাল-১ থেকে যে রায় দেয়ার কথা রয়েছে সেই রায়ের কপি পাওয়া গেছে ভারপ্রাপ্ত আইন সচিব আবু সালেহ শেখ মোহাম্মদ জহিরুল হকের অফিসের একটি কম্পিউটারে। এতে আরো যে বিস্ময়কর তথ্য পাওয়া গেছে তা হল- বিচার শেষ হবার আগেই রায় লেখা শুরু হয়েছে। ফাইলের তথ্যে দেখা যায় ২৩ মে রায় লেখা শুরু হয়েছে, যখন সালাহউদ্দিন কাদের চৌধুরীর বিরুদ্ধে প্রসিকিউশন স্বাক্ষীদের সাক্ষ্য গ্রহণ চলছিল। এ তথ্যগুলো পাওয়া যায় বেলজিয়াম ভিত্তিক ওয়েবসাইট tribunalleaks.be/ । যেখানে রায়ের খসড়া এবং ফাইনাল কপি আপলোড করা হয়। ১৯৭১ সালের মানবতা বিরোধী মোট ২৩ টি অভিযোগে সালাহউদ্দিন কাদের চৌধুরীর বিরুদ্ধে চার্জ গঠন করা হয়েছিল। সেখান থেকে মোট ১৭টি অভিযোগের বিরুদ্ধে রাষ্ট্রপক্ষ ট্রাইবুনালে সাক্ষী হাজির করে। যেহেতু রাষ্ট্রপড়্গ ১৭টি অভিযোগের পক্ষে সাক্ষী হাজির করেছে, তাই এ ১৭টি অভিযোগের বিষয়ে রায় লেখা হয়েছে মর্মে দেখা যায় আইন মন্ত্রনালয় থেকে পাওয়া রায়ের কপিতে। আইন মন্ত্রনালয় থেকে পাওয়া আজকের রায়ে দেখা যায়- ১৭টি অভিযোগের মধ্যে মোট ৯টি অভিযোগে সালাহউদ্দিন কাদের চৌধুরীকে দোষী সাব্যস্ত করা হয়েছে। আটটি অভিযোগ থেকে তাকে খালাস দেয়া হয়েছে। ২৩টি অভিযোগের মধ্যে রাষ্ট্রপক্ষ ছয়টি অভিযোগের পক্ষে কোন সাক্ষী হাজির করেনি। সে ছয়টি অভিযোগ রাষ্ট্রপক্ষ প্রমানে ব্যর্থ হয়েছে বলে রায়ে উল্লেখ করা হয়েছে। ১৭টি অভিযোগের মধ্যে যে ৯টি অভিযোগে তাকে দোষী সাব্যস্ত করা হয়েছে সেগুলো হলঃ ২ নং অভিযোগ ঃ মধ্য গহিরায় গণহত্যা। ৩নং অভিযোগ ঃ নূতন চন্দ্র হিংস হত্যা। ৪নং অভিযোগ ঃ জগৎমলল পাড়া গণহত্যা। ৫ নং অভিযোগ ঃ সুলতানপুরে নেপাল চন্দ্র ও অপর তিনজনকে হত্যা। ৬ নং অভিযোগ ঃ ৬৯ পাড়া গণহত্যা। ৭ নং অভিযোগ ঃ সতিশ চন্দ্র পালিত হত্যা। ৮ নং অভিযোগ ঃ মোজাফফর ও তার ছেলে শেখ আলমগীর হত্যা। ১৭ নং অভিযোগ ঃ নিজাম উদ্দিন আহম্মদকে অপহরণ ও নির্যাতন। ; ১৮ নং অভিযোগঃ সালেহউদ্দিন আহমদকে অপহরণ ও নির্যাতন। ১৭টি অভিযোগের মধ্যে যে ৮টি অভিযোগ থেকে সালাহ উদ্দিন কাদের চৌধুরীকে খালাস দেয়া হয়েছে সেগুলো হলোঃ ১ নং অভিযোগ ঃ গুডস হিলে সাতজনকে অপহরণ করে ও নির্যাতন করে। ১০ নং অভিযোগ ঃ মানিক ধরের বাড়ি লুট। ১১ নং অভিযোগ ঃ বোয়াল খালী গণহত্যা। ১২ নং অভিযোগ ঃ বিজয় কৃঞ্চ ও দুইজনকে হত্যা। ১৪ নং অভিযোগ ঃ হানিফ হত্যা। ১৯ নং অভিযোগ ঃ মাহবুব আলম হত্যা। ২০ নং অভিযোগ ঃ এখলাস হত্যা। ২৩ নং অভিযোগ ঃ সলিমুল্লাহর উপর নির্যাতন। যে ৬টি অভিযোগের বিরম্নদ্ধে রাষ্ট্রপক্ষ সাক্ষী হাজির করেননি সেগুলো হলোঃ ৯, ১৩, ১৫, ১৬, ২১ এবং ২২। রায়- এ লেখা হয়েছে এ ৬টি অভিযোগ রাষ্ট্রপক্ষ প্রমাণে ব্যর্থ হয়েছে। যেখানে পাওয়া গেল ফাইলটিঃ আইন মন্ত্রণালয়ের ষষ্ঠ তলার একটি কম্পিউটারের ডি-ড্রাইভে “Local Disk (DHappy” এই রায়ের কপি পাওয়া যায়। কম্পিউটারের প্রত্যেকটি ফাইল বা ডকুমেন্টের উৎস নির্ণয়ক তথ্য ঐ ফাইল/ডকুমেন্টে সংরক্ষিত থাকে। এই তথ্য ঐ ফাইল বা ডকুমেন্টের প্রপারেটিস অপশনে গেলে পাওয়া যায়। এই রায়ের কপিটি যে ফাইল পাওয়া গেছে তার প্রপারটিস পরীড়্গা করে নি্নোক্ত তথ্য পাওয়া যায়। “ডি ড্রাইভ” এর “আলম” নামক ফোল্ডারের সাব ফোল্ডার “ডিফারেন্ট কোর্টস এন্ড পোস্ট ক্রিয়েশন” এর মধ্যে আরেকটি সাব ফোল্ডার “চীফ প্রসিকিউটর- ওয়ার ট্রাইবুনালস” এর মধ্যে রাখা রায়ের খসড়া কপিটির নাম ছিল “সাকা ফাইনাল- ১”। ইংরেজিতে উক্ত ফাইল পাথটি হলো- D:AlamDIFFERENT COURTS n POST CREATIONWar Crimes TribunalChief Prosecutor – War Tribunalsaka final – 1.doc. `ICT BD Case No. 02 of 2011 (Delivery of Judgment) (Final)’ আলম নামের যে ব্যক্তির ফোল্ডারে ফাইলটি পাওয়া গেছে সেই আলম হলেন আইন মন্ত্রণালয়ের ভারপ্রাপ্ত সচিব আবু সালেহ শেখ মোঃ জহিরুল হক এর কম্পিউটার অপারেটর। বিচার শেষের আগেই রায় লেখা শুরু আইন মন্ত্রনলায়ের যে ফাইলটিতে সালাহউদ্দিন কাদের চৌধুরীর রায়ের কপি পাওয়া গেছে সেই ফাইলটির প্রপার্টিজ অপশনে দেখা যায় ফাইলটি তৈরি করা হয়েছে ২০১৩ সালের ২৩ মে ১২টা ১ মিনিটের সময়। ফাইলের সাইজ ১৬৭ কেবি। পৃষ্ঠা ১৬৪। এডিট করা হয়েছে ২৫৮৭ মিনিট পর্যন্ত। ফাইল অনুযায়ী সালাহউদ্দিন কাদের চৌধুরীর রায় লেখা শুরম্ন হয় ২৩ মে। কিন্তু ওই সময় সালাহউদ্দিন কাদের চৌধুরীর বিরম্নদ্ধে ট্রাইবুনালে সাড়্গ্য গ্রহন চলছিল। গত ১৪ই অগাষ্ট’১৩ইং তারিখে সালাহউদ্দিন কাদের চৌধুরীর মামলার সমস্ত কার্যক্রম শেষ হয় এবং রায়ের জন্য তারিখ অপেক্ষমান ঘোষনা করা হয়। সে অনুযায়ী দেখা যায়, বিচার শেষ হবার তিন (০৩) মাস আগেই রায় লেখা শুরু হয় আইন মন্ত্রনালয় থেকে। চৌধুরীর প্রতি ক্ষোভ রায়ের এক স্থানে সালাহউদ্দিন চৌধুরীর প্রতি ক্ষোভ প্রকাশ করে লেখা হয়েছে যে, বিচারপতিগণ আদালত কক্ষ ত্যাগ করার সময় তিনি উঠে দাঁড়াতেন না। এছাড়া সালাহউদ্দিন কাদের চৌধুরী মাঝে মধ্যে ট্রাইবুনালে বিচারপতিদের চেয়ারম্যান ও মেম্বার সাহেব বলে সম্বোধন করতেন। এ বিষয়টিও রায়ে ক্ষোভের সাথে উল্লেখ করা হয়েছে। রায়ের পুরো কপি দেখুন এখানে এখানে ক্লিক করে, Click this link সব শেষে Download Report ICT BD Case NO. 02 of 2011 (Delivery of Judgment)(final) এটা ক্লিক করলেই পুরো ফাইলটি ডাউন লোড করতে পারবেন। International Crimes Tribunal-1 ( ICT-1) Old High Court Building, Dhaka, Bangladesh. ICT-BD Case No. 02 OF 2011 (Charges:- Crimes Against Humanity, genocide abetment and complicity to commit Such crimes as specified in section 3(2)(a), 3(2)(c), 3(2)(g) and (h) read with section 4(1) of the Act No. XIX of 1973. The Chief Prosecutor Versus Salauddin Quader Chowdhury Present: Mr. Justice A.T.M. Fazle Kabir, Chairman Mr. Justice Jahangir Hossain, Member Mr. Justice Anwarul Haque, Member Date of delivery of Judgment ……, 2013. Prosecutors:- Mr. Golam Arif Tipu, Chief Prosecutor with Mr. Syed Haider Ali Mr. Rana Das Gupta Mr. Zead-Al- Malum Mr. Sultan Mahmud Mr. A.K.M. Saiful Islam Mr. Abdur Rahman Howlader Ms. Tureen Afroz Ms. Nurjahan Begum Mukta Ms. Rezia Sultana Begum Mr. Taposh Kanti Baul. Defence Counsels:- Mr. A.H.M. Ahsanul Huq Hena with Mr. A.K.M. Fakrul Islam Mr. Muhammad Huzzatul Islam Khan Ms. Salma Hye-(State defence counsel) Judgment (Under section 20(1) of the Act XIX of 1973) I. Introduction:- 1. This Tribunal (ICT-1) has been lawfully constituted as a domestic judicial forum for the purpose of holding trials relating to internationally recognised crimes, such as, crimes against humanity, genocide and other class offencescommitted during the War of Liberation in 1971. Bangladesh Parliament enacted the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act in 1973 (hereinafter referred to as “the Act”) to provide for the detention, prosecution and punishment of persons for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other crimes under International law, committed in the territory of Bangladesh during the War of Liberation, particularly between 25 March to 16 December, 1971. 2. On behalf of both the parties the learned prosecutors and defence counsels raised some legal issues and factual aspects relating to superior responsibility of the accused, historical background of War of Liberation, characterization of international crimes, commencement of proceedings, charges framed, and the laws applicable to the case for the purpose of determining criminal liability of the accused. II. Commencement of proceedings:- 3. On the basis of investigation report submitted by the Investigation Agency, the learned Chief Prosecutor filed formal charge along with documents in the Tribunal on 14.11.2011 as required under Section 9(1) of the Act against accused Salauddin Quader Chowdhury. On perusal of the formal charge along with documents submitted by the prosecution, Cognizance of offences as specified in section 3(2) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973 was taken on 17.11.2011 against accused Salauddin Quader Chowdhury. The accused filed an application on 30.11.2011 praying for canceling the Vokalatnama executed by him in favour of his counsels and that prayer was allowed with a permission to conduct his own case personally. The prosecution submitted its documents in the office prescribed for the accused but he refused to receive those documents for the preparation of the defence case. By the order dated 12.12.2011, this Tribunal appointed Mr. Badiuzzaman, Advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh at the expense of the Government to defend the accused as per provision of section 12 of the Act. The newly engaged counsel was asked to receive prosecution documents to prepare defence case and he was also permitted to consult with the accused in the jail custody by the order dated 19.12.2011. The accused filed a series of applications one after another to delay the proceeding but those those applications were disposed of in accordance with law. Charge framing date was fixed on 15.01.2012, on that date accused submitted that he would argue his own case without taking any assistance of the State-defence counsel. The accused started shouting in the court room and created untoward disturbance for which he was warned by the Tribunal. As per submission of the accused, the appointment of Mr. Badiuzzaman as State defence counsel was cancelled and newly appointed counsel Mr. Ahsanul Huq Hena was permitted to conduct the case of the accused. After hearing the learned lawyers of both the parties on charge framing matter and on perusal of formal charge and documents, this Tribunal framed 23 charges against accused Salauddin Quader Chowdhury on 04.04.2012 under section 3(2)(a), 3(2)(c), 3(2)(g) and 3(2)(h) read with section 4(1) of the Act which are punishable under section 20(2) of the Act No. XIX of 1973. The Charges framed were readover and explained to the accused on dock to which he pleaded not guilty and claimed to have fair justice and thus trial was started. III. Historical Background:- 4. In 1971, during the War of Liberation of Bangladesh, atrocities in a large scale, crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide were committed by Pakistani forces, auxiliary forces and their associates which resulted the birth of Bangladesh as an independent country. It was estimated that during nine month long war, about three million people were killed, nearly a quarter million women were raped, and over 10 million people were deported to India causing brutal persecution upon them. 5. In August, 1947, the partition of British India based on two-nation theory, gave birth to two new states, one a secular state named India and the other the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The two-nation theory was propositioned on the basis that India will be for Hindus while Pakistan will be a state for the Muslims. This theory culminated into the creation of Pakistan which was comprised of two geographically and culturally separate areas to the east and the west of India. The western zone was eventually named West Pakistan and the eastern zone was named East Pakistan, which is now Bangladesh. 6. Ever since the creation of Pakistan, the Pakistan Government adopted discriminatory policies backed by its bureaucracy and Army to rule over the people of East Pakistan that caused great disparity in every field including, education, welfare, health, armed services, civil bureaucracy, economic and social developments. One of the first patently discriminatory and undemocratic policies of the Government of Pakistan was manifested when in 1952 the Pakistani authorities attempted to impose Urdu as the only State language of Pakistan ignoring Bangla, the language of the majority population of Pakistan. The people of the then East Pakistan started movement to get Bangla recognised as a state language thus marking the beginning of language movement that eventually turned to the movement for greater autonomy and self-determination and eventually independence. Numerous Bangalees sacrificed their lives to realise Bangla as a state language. Since then, the people of East Pakistan started thinking of their own emancipation and started a political movement for getting provincial autonomy for East Pakistan. 7. In the general election of 1970, the Awami League under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman won 167 seats out of 300 seats of the National Assembly of Pakistan and thus became the majority party of Pakistan. Of the 300 seats, 169 were allocated to East Pakistan of which Awami League won 167 demonstrating an absolute majority in the Parliament. Despite this overwhelming majority, Pakistan government did not hand over power to the leader of the majority party as democratic norms required. As a result, movement started in this part of Pakistan and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in his historic speech of 7th March, 1971 called on the people of Bangladesh to strive for independence if people’s verdict is not respected and power is not handed over to the leader of the majority party. On 26th March, following the onslaught of “Operation Search Light” by the Pakistani military on 25th March, Bangabandhu declared Bangladesh independent immediately before he was arrested by the Pakistani authorities. 8. With this declaration of independence, the war to liberate Bangladesh from the occupation of Pakistan military began that ended on 16th of December, 1971 with the surrender of all Pakistani military personnels present in Bangladesh before the Joint Indian and Bangladeshi forces in Dhaka. In the War of Liberation that ensued, all people of East Pakistan wholeheartedly supported and participated in the call to free Bangladesh but a small number of Bangalees, Biharis, other pro-Pakistanis, as well as members of a number of different religion-based political parties joined and/or collaborated with the Pakistan military to actively oppose the creation of independent Bangladesh. Except those who opposed, Hindu communities like others in Bangladesh, supported the Liberation War which in fact drew particular wrath of the Pakistani military and their local collaborators, who perceived them as pro-Indian and made them targets of attack, persecution, extermination and deportation as members belonging to a religious group. 9. As a result, 3 million (thirty lakh) people were killed, more then 2(two) lakh women raped, about 10 million (one crore) people deported to India as refugees and million others were internally displaced. It also saw unprecedented destruction of properties all over Bangladesh. 10. To prosecute their policy of occupation and repression, and in order to crash the aspiration of the freedom-loving people of an independent Bangladesh, the Pakistan government and the military set up number of auxiliary forces such as the Razakars, the Al-Badr, the Al-Shams, the Peace Committee etc, essentially to collaborate with the military in identifying and eliminating - all those who were perceived to be sympathized with the liberation of Bangladesh, individuals belonging to minority religious groups especially the Hindus, political groups belonging to Awami League and other pro-Independence political parties, Bangalee intellectuals and civilian population of Bangladesh. The truth about the nature and extent of the atrocities and crimes perpetrated during the period by the Pakistani military and their allies became known to the wider world through independent reports by the foreign journalists and dispatches sent home by the diplomatic community in Dhaka. 11. The road to freedom for the people of Bangladesh was arduous and torturous, smeared with blood, toil and sacrifices. In the contemporary world history, perhaps no nation paid as dearly as the Bangalees did for their emancipation. 12. Pursuant to Bangabandhu’s Declaration of Independence, a provisional government-in-exile was formed on April 17, 1971 in Mujibnagar with Bangabandhu as the President of Bangladesh. In his absence, Syed Nazrul Islam was the Acting President and Tajuddin Ahmed was the Prime Minister who coordinated the operations to expel the occupying Pakistani forces and to liberate Bangladesh. 13. In order to bring to justice the perpetrators of the crimes committed in 1971, the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973 was promulgated. However, no Tribunal was set up and no trial took place under the Act until the government established this International Crimes Tribunal on 25th of March 2010. IV. Brief account of the accused:- 14. Accused Salauddin Quader Chowdhury is the eldest son of Late Fazlul Quader Chowdhury who was born on 13 March, 1949 at Chittagong. His father was the General Secretary of Muslim League of Chittagong since before partition of India in 1947. Mr. Fazlul Quader Chowdhury was one of the Ministers in the Cabinet of President Ayub Khan in 1962 and subsequently he became the Speaker’ of the National Assembly of Pakistan. In the General Election of 1970, Mr. Fazlul Quader Chowdhury being the President of Convention Muslim League contested in the said election but he got defeat. While Pakistan army launched “ Operation Search Light” in Bangladesh in the night following 25 March 1971, the father of the accused formed para-Militia Bahinies in collaboration with Pakistan-army to resist the independence of Bangladesh. Accused Salauddin and his father joined their hands with Pakistan-army and auxiliary forces to commit crimes against humanity and genocide in Chittagong area during the War of Liberation in 1971. Accused actively participated in the killing of unarmed Hindu people of Chittagong in a large scale and also committed offence of abduction, torture, looting , deportation, genocide and all other atrocities during the War of Liberation of Bangladesh in collaboration with Pakistan army, Razakars, Al-Badrs and Al-shams. For the anti-liberation role of Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, he was attacked by throwing grenade on 20 September, 1971 by the Freedom-Fighters causing injuries on his person. Thereafter he left this Country for his misdeeds and he came back to Bangladesh in 1974. He joined in the Politices at Chittagong and he was elected Member of Parliament (M.P.) for five times being the candidate of different political parties namely Muslim League Jatio Party , N.D.P. and BNP since 1979 to 2008. The accused and his father used their residence named “ Goodshill” as torture centre and he as self-declared Brigadiar used to conduct operations under his leadership in different places of Chittagong. V. Jurisdiction of the Tribunal:- 15. The International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973 has empowered the Tribunal to prosecute and punish not only the armed forces but also the perpetrators who belonged to auxiliary forces or who committed the offence as an individual or a group of individuals and no where in the Act, it has been said that without prosecuting the armed forces (Pakistani) an individual or group of individuals having any other capacity specified in section 3(1) of the Act cannot be prosecuted. Rather it is manifested in section 3(1) that even any person if he is prima facie found criminally responsible for the offences specified in section 3(2) of the Act can be brought to justice. Moreover, the provisions of section 4(1) and 4(2) are the guiding principles for fixing up liability of a person or in the capacity of superior command responsibility, if any offences committed specified in section 3(2) of the Act. Thus, the Tribunals set up under the Act are absolutely domestic Tribunals but empowered to try internationally recognized crimes committed in violation of customary international law. VI. Consistency of ICT Act, 1973 with other statutes on international Crimes:- 16. Section 3(2)(a) of International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973 ( as amended in 2009) defines the crimes against Humanity in the following manner: “Crimes against Humanity: namely, murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, imprisonment, abduction, confinement, torture, rape or other inhumane acts committed against any civilian population or persecutions on political, racial, ethnic or religions grounds, whether or not in violation of the domestic law of the country where perpetrated;” 17. Many have expressed their concern by the degree to which the above definition of ‘Crimes against Humanity’ under the Act differs from international standards. It may be stated that ‘international standard’ itself is a fluid concept, it changes with time and requirement through a mechanism of progressive development of law. Therefore, one can look at the concept of ‘standard’ from entirely a technical perspective; whereas, others can see it as a matter of inherent spirit.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Oct 2013 19:17:47 +0000