Tension at the tribunal as defence objects to 'Gen-Z' remark during witness cross-examination

'If Gen-Z gets angry, there will be danger' - tension flared at the International Crimes Tribunal over this remark by a member of the prosecution during the cross-examination of a witness. The defence lawyer at one point described the remark as a 'threat'. The tribunal later cautioned both sides.

The incident took place on Sunday (8 November) during the cross-examination of the 13th witness in the crimes against humanity case against former law minister Anisul Haque and Salman F Rahman, adviser to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, before the single bench of Justice Md Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury, a member of Tribunal-1.

Lawyer Palash Chandra Roy was cross-examining the witness for the defence. Senior lawyer Monsurul Haque Chowdhury and other lawyers were with him. For the prosecution, prosecutors Abdus Sobhan Tarafder, Gazi MH Tamim and Sahidul Islam Sardar, among others, were present.

At one point during the cross-examination, lawyer Palash asked the witness about a 2024 High Court verdict. In reply, the witness said he did not know whether a delegation of protesting students had submitted a memorandum to the Attorney General's office on 9 July 2024 seeking legal steps against the High Court verdict.

The witness further said that although an application was filed in the Appellate Division on the same date against the verdict, it was a 'ploy to mislead' by the then Sheikh Hasina government. When asked later about the hearing date of that case, the witness said he could not remember it.

When more questions followed, the prosecution raised objections. At that point, senior lawyer Monsurul Haque Chowdhury, seated in the defence row, told the prosecution, 'Let the prosecution do the cross-examination, we will sit down.' When the tribunal asked Monsurul Haque to come to the dais and speak, he complained that when someone from the prosecution stands up, the witness's attention shifts elsewhere and he becomes cautious, making it difficult to bring out the truth.

At that time, with the tribunal's permission, prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim read out the relevant law. After the law was read out and cross-examination resumed, the defence expressed anger at the witness in the dock, telling him to turn his face towards the prosecution while answering.

In reply, the witness said, 'All right, then I will move away,' and turned his chair around. Seeing the witness's behaviour, a member of the prosecution said, 'If Gen-Z gets angry, there will be danger.' Lawyer Palash Chandra Roy, standing at the dais, objected, saying that in that case his cross-examination would not be proper and that it was a kind of threat.

As an argument broke out between the lawyers of both sides over the matter, the tribunal intervened and directed both sides to remain calm and cautious.

After the situation calmed down, lawyer Palash resumed cross-examination and asked whether any violence had taken place on 9 July. The witness replied that there had been no violence by the government on 9 July 2024, but leaders and activists of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations had issued threats in various areas.

On 12 January this year, Tribunal-1 framed five charges of crimes against humanity against Salman F Rahman and Anisul Haque and ordered the trial to begin. The court took cognisance of the charges against them on 4 December 2025.

The first of the charges brought by the prosecution states that Salman and Anisul took the key policy decisions to suppress the July-August 2024 movement. As part of that, in a phone conversation on 19 July, then law minister Anisul Haque said the protesters should be finished that very night by imposing a curfew. Although many students and members of the public lost their lives because of their instigation and conspiracy, they took no steps to stop the repression.

The second charge states that, with their direct knowledge and instigation, law enforcement agencies and party cadres carried out killings in Mirpur in the capital on 23 July. The third charge states that these two influential figures carried out killings at Mirpur-10 on 28 July through instigation and conspiracy to use lethal weapons to suppress the movement.

The fourth charge states that, on 4 August, members of law enforcement agencies along with Awami League leaders and activists killed 12 people, including Akash, Setu and Alvi, at Mirpur-1, through instigation and provocation to impose a curfew and use lethal weapons. The fifth charge states that Salman F Rahman and Anisul Haque planned to foil the 'March to Dhaka' programme of students and the public on 5 August. On their instructions, 16 people, including Al-Amin, Ashraful, Sabbir and Rita, were killed in attacks by the administration and the ruling party in the Mirpur-2, 10 and 13 areas.