Prosecution accuses defense lawyer of stalling tactics in International Crimes Tribunal trial
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Prosecutors at the International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Tuesday accused defense lawyer Md. Manjur Alam of employing dilatory tactics during cross-examination in a case involving crimes against humanity.
The proceedings concerned a case involving the shooting of two Chhatra Shibir leaders in the Chaugachha Upazila of Jessore in 2016. Manjur Alam, a state-appointed lawyer, is representing five fugitive defendants as well as two others currently in custody.
Prosecutor Md. Mizanul Islam alleged that the defense lawyer’s line of questioning was intentionally time-consuming, irrelevant, and repetitive. During the session, the prosecution raised several objections regarding the nature of the cross-examination, some of which were upheld by the tribunal while others were overruled.
Speaking to reporters following the hearing, Mizanul Islam stated that the prosecution viewed the defense’s approach as a deliberate strategy to delay the judicial process. He characterized the questioning as unacceptable and devoid of relevance to the core matters of the case.
In his defense, Manjur Alam argued that he represents seven defendants in total. He noted that the prosecution had previously granted him permission to represent both the absconding individuals and those currently detained. He maintained that the volume of defendants required a more comprehensive and extensive line of questioning to cover all necessary aspects of the defense.
The courtroom saw heightened tension as prosecutors Mizanul Islam and Abdus Sattar repeatedly accused the defense of stalling. The friction briefly spilled over when defense lawyer Syed Mizanur Rahman, representing former army officer Ziaul Ahsan in a separate matter heard by the same tribunal, questioned why his client’s case was being entangled in the dispute.
Addressing the friction, the tribunal remarked that while the prosecution’s concerns were noted, the court must also remain mindful of the defense’s mandate to represent its clients.
The tribunal proceeded to schedule further hearings for the case involving Ziaul Ahsan for Wednesday, while the cross-examination in the Chaugachha shooting case continued amidst the ongoing procedural disputes.
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