Dhaka, May 31 (UNB) -The International Crimes Tribunal-1 will pass order today (Thursday) whether it well grant bail to BNP MP Salauddin Quader Chowdhury facing trial of the charges for crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.

After hearting both the defence and the prosecution lawyers’ arguments and counterarguments on the bail plea, Justice M Nizamul Huq, chairman of the three-member tribunal, on Wednesday decided to pass the order today.

Moving the petition, Barrister Fakhrul Islam, the counsel for the accused, submitted that his client intended to attend the current budget session of Parliament responding to the President who summoned the session as per the constitutional provision.

Seeking judicial sympathy for the accused in case of granting bail, the defence counsel told the tribunal that the ongoing trial process would not be hampered if the accused is enlarged on bail.

Counsel Fakhrul also assured the tribunal of attending his client in the tribunal to face the trial as and when requires.

Opposing the bail plea, prosecutor Zead Al Malum said there is no provision of bail to an accused facing charges of crimes against humanity during the Liberation War under the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973 and its subsequent rules of procedure.

Malum told the tribunal that it would not be wise to entertain the defence bail plea as the judicial process of cross-examinations of the prosecution witnesses are going on.

Besides, the prosecutor said, the bail cannot be granted at this stage considering the gravity of the offences facing by the accused, the overall social condition and the sway of the accused still holds.

Salauddin Quader faces 23 counts of charges under different provisions of section 3 (2) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973, including genocide in collaboration with Pakistan occupation army, killing, extermination of Hindu minority groups, deportation, persecution and abduction in Chittagong district, On December 16, 2010, the Victory Day, law enforcers arrested him from the capital in connection with the torching of a car at Moghbazar on June 26 that left one person dead. Later, he was shown arrested in the war crimes case.