Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami is facing 16 charges of wartime offences which he allegedly committed during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War. Star file photo

A tribunal in Dhaka has allowed war crimes suspect Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami to place further arguments before it today and tomorrow, four days after the court said it was ready for delivering verdict.
Against the backdrop of continuous failure of the defence to appear before the court, Tribunal Crimes Tribunal-1 on November 13 drew conclusion to the war crimes case against Nizami.
The ICT-1 came up with today's order following a review petition, which was submitted by the defence on Thursday challenging the tribunal's decision to keep the case on CAV [Curia Advisari Vult, a Latin legal term meaning verdict would be delivered anytime].
After passing the order, Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, chairman of the tribunal, said the court neither allowed nor rejected the review petition. "But we disposed off the petition," the tribunal chief said.
While talking to reporters after passing the order, Justice Fazle Kabir said the case is still on CAV but the tribunal is giving just a chance to the defence to place their arguments before it today and tomorrow.
The tribunal-1 kept the case waiting for verdict on November 13 after rejecting a defence petition for a further adjournment.
It said the court had entertained several adjournment pleas of the defence even though the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973 did not allow such adjournments.
The defence drew the flaks as the senior counsels on every hartal day failed to appear before the tribunal showing personal difficulties or unavoidable circumstances.
Nizami, 69, is facing 16 charges of wartime offences which he allegedly committed during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War.
As per the indictment order, Nizami was involved in arrest, detention, torture, killing, causing deportation, conspiring and inciting followers to commit crimes against humanity and genocide during the Liberation War in 1971.