Ghulam Azam taken to hospital

The Jamaat-e-Islami guru facing war crimes trial falls sick at the tribunal.

Dhaka, Jul 19 (bdnews24.com) — Jamaat-e-Islami guru Ghulam Azam was taken to the Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital after being taken ill on Thursday at the war crimes tribunal.

Set up to deal with crimes against humanity, the three-judge Inernational Crimes Tribunal – 1, indicted the former Jamaat chief on May 13 for incitement, conspiracy and abetment of Pakistani occupation forces during the 1971 Liberation War.

Ghulam Azam has been under treatment at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University since Jan 11, when he was arrested and sent to jail by the first war crimes tribunal.

According to the defence counsels, although the Ibrahim Cardiac authorities wanted to conduct further investigations to ascertain his health condition, the police are reluctant and said that they had no authorisation to keep him at the cardiac hospital.

Senior defence counsel Abdur Razzaq, who represents the top Jamaat leadership at the war crimes tribunal, moved a petition at the ICT 1, seeking division for Jamaat financier Mir Quasem Ali citing his education and social status.

The court said it would issue an order in that regard on Sunday.

Jamaat number two, secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed saw his trial commence with the prosecution reading out its opening statement. The second tribunal has fixed Aug 26th as the next date of hearing when the prosecution is expected to produce its first witness against the Jamaat leader.

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