Netrakona, Jan 21 (bdnews24.com) – Ghulam Azam, former Jamaat-e-Islami linchpin, may be arrested anytime on charges of committing crimes against humanity during the country's Liberation War in 1971, a member of the International Crimes Tribunal's (ICT) investigation agency has said.
Mohammad Abdul Hannan Khan, talking to reporters at Netrakona Circuit House on Friday afternoon, said investigation against him was at the final stage.
State minister for law Qamrul Islam told a roundtable in November last year that investigation into war crimes charges against Ghulam Azam was underway. He also hinted at his arrest after investigation.
"There is no scope to arrest Ghulam Azam at this moment. But he may be held anytime if found guilty in the investigation," Qamrul had said.
He opposed the independence struggle in 1971 and allegedly led the formation of Peace Committees, Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams militias to thwart the emergence of Bangladesh.
Ghulam Azam is also accused of having lobbied against the recognition of new-born Bangladesh by foreign countries.
He was condemned to death at a symbolic public trial by eminent citizens of the country.
Khan said investigation into five other cases filed in Netrakona against Ghulam Azam on charges of war crimes would start soon.
Praising the role of media in war crimes trial issue, he sought help from all to ensure transparency and neutrality of the trial.
Earlier, the agency member exchanged views with local freedom fighters. Later, he visited Trimohini mass grave.
Other members of the agency Motiar Rahman, additional superintendent of police Tutul Chakrabarti, district freedom fighters' commander Nurul Amin, district Ghatak Dalal Nurmul Committee president Safayet Ahmed Khan and local Sector Commanders' Forum president Abu Siddique Ahmed accompanied him.
Another member of the agency on Sept 19 had said that they had claimed to have collected 'sufficient' evidence of war crimes committed by Ghulam Azam.
A investigation team started investigating the allegations of war crimes against Ghulam Azam on Aug 23. A three-member panel had visited Brahmanbaria's 'old' and 'new' prisons facilities, the mass grave beside Kurulia Bridge and the Pairtala killing ground, and recorder a number of witness accounts.
Five other Jamaat leaders--its chief Matiur Rahman Nizami, secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, executive council member Delwar Hossain Sayedee, assistant secretaries general Muhammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Molla--and senior BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury are currently facing trial in the tribunal.
Azam, leading a secluded life since leaving the top office of the Jamaat, in an exclusive interview with the bdnews24.com on July 6 last year said the government had confiscated his passport on April 27 that year.
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