The International Crimes Tribunal-1 has approved a request made by lawyer M Sarwar Hossain to step down as a defense attorney for 15 army officers implicated in three separate cases of crimes against humanity. The tribunal granted the withdrawal request today.
Earlier on October 22, Sarwar, along with four other lawyers, had submitted a vakalatnama to represent the 15 accused army officers. However, Sarwar later expressed his desire to withdraw from the defense team due to a conflict of interest situation that came to light during a review of case documents.
Upon discovering that he had previously filed a complaint against one of the accused officers, Sarwar stated that according to professional ethics and the code of conduct, he could not continue as a defense lawyer in a case involving someone against whom he had lodged a complaint. As a result, he formally requested the tribunal’s permission to withdraw his name, which was accepted.
Consequently, the vakalatnama submitted on behalf of the 15 officers has been revoked, leading to the withdrawal of all five defense lawyers initially involved in the submission. The remaining four lawyers will have to submit a new vakalatnama to carry on representing the accused individuals.
The 15 officers are part of a group of 25 former and current army personnel facing charges in the three cases, which include allegations of enforced disappearances, torture during the Awami League rule spanning over 15 years, and killings during the July uprising.