Azhar's trial deferred

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT) has deferred until May 6 the hearing in the trial of Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam, accused of war crimes against humanity during Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971.

The proceedings were put off, as the prosecution witness failed to show up in court on Sunday, apparently because of a severe heatwave sweeping the country.

The prosecution cited the current hot spell for its inability to present its witness before the court.

The defense did not object.

An unbearable bout of sweltering heat has paralysed normal life, especially in mega cities like capital Dhaka and Chittagong.

The temperature in Dhaka had soared to a sizzling 40.2 degrees Celsius on Thursday, the highest in five decades.

The war crimes trial proceedings against Azharul, Assistant Secretary General of the Jamaat, resumed at the three-member tribunal on Sunday morning.

The tribunals is being headed by Justice M Enayetur Rahim.

Prosecutor Tapas Kanti Bal told the tribunal they could not present their witnesses as some of them had fallen ill because of the heat wave and others could not leave home because of the illness of the members of their families.

Sunday was fixed for cross-examining the 11th prosecution witness and others in the case.

The last time the tribunal heard the case was on April 13.

The court said, “It's not good to seek more time after such a long break. What will you do, if the heat persists?”

Defence lawyer Abdus Sobhan Tarafdar raised no objection when the court sought his opinion.

The tribunal later fixed May 6 for the next hearing.

Azharrul was indicted on Nov 12, 2013 on six charges of crimes against humanity.

Meanwhile, the prosecution was unable present its witnesses in the ICT-2 also for he same reason.