A heated exchange broke out at the International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Sunday as former state minister for information and communication technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak objected to the prosecution’s handling of witness testimony in a crimes against humanity case against him and Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
The incident occurred during the testimony of Mahdi Amin, an official of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and the 10th prosecution witness in the case, before the tribunal’s single-member bench headed by Justice Md Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury.
Tensions rose when Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim sought clarification from the witness. Palak, standing in the dock, protested against the prosecutor’s manner of questioning.
“Why are you being so impatient? I am the one on trial here. Speak patiently. We are not here to listen to your orders or what you have to say,” Palak said.
When the prosecution objected to Palak speaking from the dock without permission, defence lawyers questioned why the prosecution was repeatedly invoking legal rules. The prosecutor then raised an objection before the tribunal.
The judge urged the defence to remain calm, saying, “If you lose your temper, you lose. Do not take anything as a personal matter.”
The confrontation resumed when Amin referred to a meeting on July 28, 2024, during which the then director general of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC), Ziaul Ahsan, was allegedly instructed to restore 3G and 4G mobile internet services.
The prosecution argued that the matter was not directly relevant to the scope of the case and sought permission to omit that portion of the testimony. The witness agreed.
Palak then shouted from the dock, “He is scared, he is scared!”
The judge asked him to speak less and directed him to sit down.
Palak later sought permission to address the tribunal, arguing that the witness would have to be declared hostile if part of his testimony was to be omitted in that manner.
“Honourable court, if a portion of the testimony is to be omitted in this manner, the witness would have to be declared hostile,” he said.
Joy and Palak face allegations of crimes against humanity over their alleged roles in the crackdown on the July 2024 uprising. The accusations include spreading provocative messages online, shutting down internet services nationwide and facilitating the use of lethal weapons.
The case also concerns allegations that the two incited and assisted the killings of at least 62 people, including victims named Russell and Mosleh Uddin, in incidents at Dhaka University and Uttara.
Formal trial proceedings against them began on January 21 this year.
The allegations remain subject to adjudication by the tribunal as it continues hearing prosecution witnesses.