Sayedee Case Timeline

Date Event
June 29, 2010 Prosecution submitted formal charge
August 04, 2010 Direction to produce Sayedee on August 10, 2010 issued
August 10, 2010 Accused sick, not produced
November
02, 2010		 Sayedee detained by order of the Tribunal
December 29, 2010 First prayer for bail rejected, prosecution granted further time for investigation
March 15, 2011 Second prayer for bail rejected
April 20, 2011 Third prayer for bail rejected
May 31, 2011 Fourth prayer for bail rejected
July 11, 2011 Prosecution resubmitted formal charges; Fifth prayer for bail rejected
July 14, 2011 Cognizance of offense taken by Tribunal
August 23, 2011 Hearing on framing of charges begun
September 04, 2011 Charge Hearing completed, Adjourned at Defense’s request as a last chance for one week
September 21, 2011 Defense Application for discharge
September 27, 2011 Defense Application for discharge concluded
October 03, 2011 Discharge Application rejected, Charge Framing Order issued
October 27, 2011 Defense filed motion for recusal of Chairman Nizamul Huque on the basis of his prior involvement in the investigation of alleged war crimes as part of the Secretariat of the People’s Commission from 1993-1994.
October 30, 2011  Opening Statements scheduled but adjourned; Defense’s application for review of charge framing order is rejected
November 14, 2011 The application for recusal of the Chairman was rejected
November 20, 2011 Opening Statements began
November 28, 2011 Tribunal issues order rejecting Defense’s application for reasons as to why Justice Nizamul Haq continues to sit as Chairman of Tribunal 1
December 07, 2011 Prosecution witness #1, Md. Mahbubul Alam Howladar, began testimony
December 08, 2011 Prosecution witness #2, Ruhul Amin Nabin, began testimony
December 19, 2011 Prosecution witness #3, Md. Mizanur Rahman Talukder, began testimony
December 21, 2012 Prosecution witness #4, Sultan Ahmed Howlader, began testimony
December 27, 2011 Prosecution witness #6, Manik Poshari, and prosecution witness #5, Mahtab Uddin Howlader, began testimony
December 29, 2011 Prosecution witness # 7, Mofizuddin Poshari, began testimony
January 01, 2012 Prosecution witness #8, Mostafa Hawlader, began testimony
January 03, 2012 Prosecution witness #9, Md Altaf Hossain Howlader, began testimony
January 08, 2012 Prosecution witness #10, Basu Deb Mistri, began testimony
January 09, 2012 Prosecution witness #11, Abdul Jalil Sheikh, began testimony
January 10, 2012 Prosecution witness #12, Alhaz AKMA Awal, began testimony
January 16, 2012 Prosecution witness #13, Gauranga Chandra Shaha, began testimony
January 17, 2012 Prosecution witness #14, Abdul Halim Babul, began testimony
January 24, 2012 Prosecution witness #15,  Solaiman Hossain, began testimony
January 25, 2012 Prosecution witness #16, Julfikar Ali, began testimony
January 29, 2012 Prosecution Witnesses #17, Rabiul Anam Khan; Prosecution Witness #18, S.M. Amirul Islam; and Prosecution Witness #19, Mohammad Nesar, began testimony
January 31, 2012 Prosecution witness #23, Madhusudhan Ghorami, began testimony
February 07, 2012 Prosecution witness #24, Mohammad Hossain Ali, began testimony
February 15, 2011 Prosecution witness #25, Mobbarak Hossain, began testimony
February 16, 2012 Prosecution witness #26, Abed Khan, began testimony
February 20, 2012 Prosecution witness #27, Saif Hafijur Rahman, began testimony
March 27, 2012 Prosecution submitted an application for 46 witness statements recorded by the Investigating Officer to be admitted despite the absence of the witnesses and therefore the defense’s inability to cross-examine their statements.
April 8, 2012 Prosecution witness, Investigating Officer Helal Uddin, began providing testimony
April 24, 2012 Prosecution concluded its case-in-chief, concluding the testimony of the Investigating Officer.
April 25, 2012 Cross-examination of Investigating Officer (IO) began. Cross-examination lasted for 48 days, concluding on August 13, 2012
June 17, 2012 Defense requested adjournment for the day because the Accused had suffered a mild heart attack on June 14th, 2012 and therefore could not be produced in court. The Tribunal granted adjournment for 3 days but noted that Rule 43A provides that the Tribunal may conduct proceedings in the absence of the Accused.
June 24, 2012 Tribunal passed an order denying Sayedee’s bail application
March 25, 2012 Justice Fazle Kabir is moved to Tribunal 2, Justice Anwarul Hoq begins sitting in Tribunal 1.
April 08, 2012 Application for amendment of count 6,12-17 & 19 to allege Indurkani instead of Pirojpur as the location of the crimes
August 14, 2012 The Tribunal passed an order stating that it found the defense’s request to call 48 witnesses excessive and limiting them to 20 witnesses.
August 28, 2012 Member Judge Zaheer Ahmed resigned
August 29, 2012 Judge Jahangir Hossain is appointed to replace Judge Zaheer Ahmed
September 02, 2012 Newly appointed Justice Jahangir Hossain began sitting on the bench. Defense case-in-chief began. Defense witness #1, Shamsul Alam Talukdar, provided testimony
September 05, 2012 Defense witness #2, Manjur Ahmed Ansari, provided testimony
September 6, 2012 The Tribunal heard the defense’s application for review of the August 14th order restricting the number of defense witnesses to 20.
September 09, 2012 The Tribunal heard and rejected the Defense application for retrial based on changes in the constitution of the bench. Judge ATM Fazle Kabir was transferred to Tribunal 2 on March 22, 2012 and replaced by Justice Anwarul Haque.  On August 28, 2012 Judge AKM Zahir Ahmed resigned from the Tribunal and was replaced by Judge Jahnagir Hossain Selim. Therefore only one of the original judges remains on the bench.
September 10, 2012 Defense witness #3, Nurul Haque Hawlader, provided testimony
September 12, 2012 Defense Witness #4, Abul Hossain, provided testimony
September 19, 2012 Defense witness #5, Khasrul Alam, provided testimony
September 24, 2012 Defense witness #6, Rowshan Ali, provided testimony
September 26, 2012 Defense lodged an application relating to alleged threats of its witnesses. The Tribunal passed an order noting that the defense never filed a petition seeking witness protection from the court on behalf of its witnesses and directed the defense counsel to bring their witnesses to Dhaka and keep them at the witness house. The tribunal directed the defense to produce their witnesses on the following Sunday.
October 02, 2012 Defense Witness #7, Jamal Hossain Fakir, provided testimony
October 4, 2012 Defense witness #8, Kobad Ali, provided testimony. Tribunal then passed an order noting the absence of the next defense witness and required the defense to present the witness within one day or have the recording of defense witnesses stopped.
October 7, 2012 Defense witness #9, Hemayet Uddin Sharif, provided testimony
October 08, 2012 Tribunal heard applications regarding 1) the admissibility of documentary evidence in the Sayedee case, 2) defense request that the tribunal issue summons for witnesses relating to the safe house register
October 09, 2012 Defense witness #10, Md. Golam Mostofa, provided testimony
October 10, 2012 Defense informed the tribunal that their chambers of defense counsel Misanul Islam and Tajul Islam had been searched by plain-clothes police officers identifying themselves as from the Detective Branch. The Tribunal did not take any action. Defense witness # 12, Hafijul Haque, provided testomny.
October 14, 2012 Defense witness #13, Masud Sayedee – son of Delwar Hossain Sayedee, provided testimony
October 17, 2012 Defense witness #14, Emran Hossain, provided testimony. Defense lawyers additionally reported that this witness had been called and threatened on the phone and told not to provide testimony or risk losing his job as a school teacher in Jeshore.
October 18, 2012 Defense was scheduled to produce defense witness #15, but the defense stated that he was sick and unable to attend. The Tribunal passed an order requiring the Prosecution to arrange for the examination of that witness “lying on a bed” and directed the Defense to present the remaining 5 witnesses on Sunday, October 21st.
October 21, 2012 Defense witness #16, Abdul Halim Fakir, provided testimony
October 23, 2012 Final defense witness (#17), Ganesh Chandra Shaha, provided testimony
October 23, 2012 Defense case-in-chief was completed 
November 5, 2012 The Defense reported that its witness, Shukharanjan Bali, was abducted from outside the tribunal gates by plain clothes police officers identifying themselves as being from the Detective Branch. The Tribunal requested the Chief Prosecutor to investigate. Just before lunch the Chief Prosecutor returned and reported that the incident had not taken place. Prosecution began closing arguments
November 15, 12 Prosecution concluded closing arguments
November 18, 2012 Defense began closing arguments
December 6, 2012  Defense concluded closing arguments, court issues order stating that the case is awaiting verdict
December 11, 2012  Chairman Nizamul Huq resigns from the ICT
 December 13, 2012  Justice ATM Fazle Kabir named chairman of ICT-1, returns from Tribunal 2
December 19, 2012 Defense submitted application for retrial based on alleged bias, collusion and fraud committed by the prosecution and judges
December 24, 2012 Hearing of retrial application began
December 27, 2012 Defense completed its arguments for retrial
January 03, 2013 Application for retrial rejected; Tribunal issued order calling for Prosecution and Defense to resubmit their summing-up arguments, scheduled to begin January 13, 2013.
January 13, 2013 Prosecution began resubmission of their Closing Arguments. 
January 20, 2013 Defense began resubmission of their Closing Arguments.
January 03, 2013 Prosecution completed its Final Reply, thus ending Closing Arguments. The Tribunal ended the trial, taking the case under consideration for verdict.
February 28, 2013 Tribunal issued its verdict, finding Sayedee guilty on 8 out of 20 charges and sentencing him to death.

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