Hartal passes off against SQC verdict

CHITTAGONG, Oct 2:  The dawn-to-dusk hartal, called by main opposition BNP, is underway in Chittagong, Rangamati and Bandarban districts today (Wednesday) protesting the International Crimes Tribunal’s verdict that awarded death sentence to Salauddin Quader Chowdhury guilty of war crimes in 1971.

In Rangamati, all kinds of vehicles and even in water way were halted due to the hartal. BNP and its other front organizations brought out procession in Rangamati in the morning.

Additional police force was deployed in the three districts.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Tuesday found BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury guilty of war crimes during the Liberation War in 1971 and condemned him to death.

This is the first verdict against any BNP leader on war crimes charges.

The tribunal on August 14  formally closed summing–up arguments from both sides in the trial of the 1971 war crimes including genocide, allegedly perpetrated by detained BNP MP Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and kept the verdict pending for any day.

On April 4 last year, the tribunal indicted Salauddin Quader for his involvement in crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War on 23 counts under different provisions of section 3 (2) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973.

Risingbd/MAM