ICT sets date for final arguments in case against Hasanul Haq Inu
Lawyers said that once the final arguments are completed, the tribunal will set a date for delivering the verdict.
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has set 2 April for the presentation of final arguments in a Crimes Against Humanity case filed against Hasanul Haq Inu, president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASAD), concerning the deaths of six people in Kushtia during the July Uprising.
The two-member International Crimes Tribunal-2 led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, passed the order today (10 March).
Lawyers said that once the final arguments are completed, the tribunal will set a date for delivering the verdict.
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According to the schedule, Inu was supposed to testify in his defence before the tribunal today. However, he did not provide any statement.
Later, following petitions from both the prosecution and defence lawyers, the tribunal set 2 April for the presentation of arguments.
Under the law, the prosecution presents arguments first. However, in this case, the defence lawyers will present their arguments before the prosecution.
Inu's lawyer, Sifat Mahmud Shuvo, said that Inu did not wish to appear before the tribunal due to physical illness.
"Despite this, he was forcibly brought to the tribunal. Even after being brought, he was not given the opportunity to explain his position," the lawyer claimed.
He added that the defence intended to submit a 64-page written statement, but the tribunal did not accept it. According to the defence, the accused's legal rights were therefore curtailed.
Inu was arrested on 26 August 2024 from Dhaka's Uttara area and has since remained in jail in connection with several cases. Earlier, the ICT had ordered his arrest and detention in the crimes against humanity case.
