Dhaka: International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-2 set Wednesday for delivering its verdict in war crimes case against Jammat-e-Islami secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid.

The three-member tribunal headed by Justice Obaidul Hassan will deliver the judgment in presence of the accused on Wednesday morning. The tribunal completed all process of trial of the Jamaat leader on June 5 last.

Prosecutor of the ICT Mokhlesur Rahman Badal confirmed the journalists that the judgment would be delivered on Wednesday.

In an instant protest against the verdict date, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islam has called a daylong hartal for Wednesday. The anti-liberation party is all set to enforce the strike at daybreak on Wednesday as the ICT-2 will deliver its verdict against Mujahid.

Just a day earlier, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) pronounced its verdict against another top Jamaat leader Ghulam Azam on Monday awarding him 90 years in jail for war crimes he masterminded 43 years back.

A press release of the party confirmed the hartal on Tuesday afternoon.

A day long hartal called by Jamaat and Ganojagaron Moncha was observed on Tuesday too protesting the sentencing of the top Jamaat leader and spiritual guru of the anti Liberation party that took side of the Pakistani occupation forces against Bangladesh’s independence in 1971.

Earlier, Jamaat called another hartal on Monday after the ICT-1 set Tuesday to deliver its verdict against former Jamaat leader Ghulam Azam.

On June 5 the ICT-2 concluded hearing on war crime accused and Jamaat leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid.

The three-member tribunal, headed by its chairman Justice Obaidul Hassan, kept the case waiting for verdict on June 5.

 ‘We wouldn’t give specific date for the judgment in this case. We have been keeping it CAV (curia advisari vult or reserving the judgement until a later time),’ the tribunal chair, Justice Obaidul Hassan, said.

Two other judges, Justice Md Mujibur Rahman Mia and Judge Shahinur Islam, were present while Mujahid was in the dock

Like other accused in war crimes cases, Mujahid, 66, was tried under the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973.

Mujahid faced the trial on seven counts of crimes against humanity, including genocide, murder, torture, conspiracy, planning incitement and complicity in atrocities. He is accused of committing these war crimes during the Bangladesh War of Independence in 1971. He denies the accusations.

On June 29, 2010, Mujahid was arrested on charges of defying court orders and was shown arrested in the war crimes case on August 2, 2010. He was indicted on June 21, 2012 and his formal trial began on July 19, 2012.

The prosecution began its closing arguments on May 7 and concluded it primarily on May 16 and the defence began its closing arguments on May 22 and concluded on June 4.

Mujahid, Jamaat Secretary General and a former technocrat minister of the last BNP-led alliance government, was indicted on seven charges, including murder, genocide and conspiracy to kill intellectuals during the country's Liberation War in 1971.

Earlier on Tuesday, the prosecution and the defence have completed their closing arguments.

Mujaheed was arrested by police on June 29 in 2010 in connection with a defamation suit and he was shown arrested for crimes against humanity since August 2 of that year.

Ends/FH/AMA/16/07/13