DHAKA: The International Crimes Tribunal issued arrest warrants against the detained four top Jamaat-e-Islami leaders on charges of committing ‘crime against humanity’ during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War as the belated trial proceedings opened Monday.

The suspects are Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary-General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, and assistant secretaries-general Mohammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Mollah.

The three-member tribunal led by Justice Nizamul Huq Nasim gave the arrest order in response to a petition filed Sunday by Chief Prosecutor Golam Arif Tipu for showing the four arrested on specific charges of crimes during the Liberation War.

During the hearing, the prosecution chief also appealed to the tribunal for issuing arrest warrants against the Jamaat leaders for their alleged involvement in genocide, murder, rape, torture, loot, and arsons during the Liberation War in collaboration with the Pakistani occupation army.

The tribunal fixed August 2 for the next hearing and asked the prosecution panel to inform the court about the execution of its order on that day.

The hearing on the petition started at about 10:30am in the tribunal set up at the old High Court building. Justice ATM Fazle Kabir and Justice AKM Zaheer Ahmed are the two other judges of the tribunal.

Golam Arif Tipu said, he filed the petition as per section 3(2) of the International Crimes Tribunal Act 1973 in order to allow investigation into the crimes.

 “Under the Tribunal Act allegations of crimes against humanity, including genocide, killings, looting, rape, torching and vandalism, can be filed. Besides, appeal for arresting the accused in this regard can also be made,” he added.

The security system was tightened in and outside the Tribunal during the hearing. Additional police forces were posted in Shahbag, Curzon Hall and National Press Club areas, police high officials said.    

Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary-General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and Nayeb-e-Ameer Delwar Hossain Sayedee were arrested on June 29 on charges of hurting religious sentiments of Muslims through their blasphemous comments.

Later, party assistant secretaries-general Mohammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Mollah were arrested from the High Court gate on July 13 in a murder-and-arson case filed with Pallabi thana by an injured freedom fighter in January 2008.

BDST: 1120 HRS, JULY 26, 2010