Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Testimony of torture
War crimes witness testifies against
Mojaheed, Azad
Staff Correspondent
Testifying
in two cases yesterday, a freedom fighter said he was tortured by war-crimes
accused Azad and others after Jamaat leader Mojaheed held a meeting with a
Pakistani army officer and Razakars at Faridpur Circuit House.
Ranjit
Kumar Nath alias Babu Nath told the International Crimes Tribunal-2 that
expelled Jamaat member Abul Kalam Azad and his cohorts tortured him inhumanly
after Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed signalled them to take him away from the
circuit house.
Ranjit,
the seventh prosecution witness in the case against Mojaheed, gave a heart
wrenching testimony on how he was picked up by Azad and his associates, confined
to a house in Bihari colony, tortured and how he escaped.
Ranjit
also gave his testimony as the fifth prosecution witness in the case against
Azad alias Bachchu Razakar before the same tribunal yesterday.
In
the case against Azad, Ranjit said Jamaat Secretary General Mojaheed, Bachchu
Razakar and some Biharies (Urdu speaking people) welcomed the Pakistani army
when they arrived in Faridpur on April 21, 1971.
They
took the army to Prabhu Jagatbandhu Ashram (temple).
“The
Pakistani army men shot eight priests dead while Mojaheed and Bachchu were with
them,” said the 62-year-old witness from Faridpur.
The
three-member tribunal, headed by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir with members Justice
Obaidul Hassan and Judge M Shahinur Islam recorded Ranjit's separate testimonies.
Mojaheed
was produced before the court yesterday. Azad is on the run.
During
his 40-minute testimony in the case against Mojaheed, Ranjit said he was
involved with the Awami League in 1971 and took part in several of its meetings
and processions.
“I
took shelter on the outskirts of Faridpur town after the Pakistani army arrived
on April 21, 1971,” said Ranjit, adding that on the first week of June 1971, he
went to the town to collect information about the Liberation War.
When
Ranjit was approaching the town, one Habi Matabbar, terming him a freedom
fighter, handed him over to Abul Kalam Azad, Abul Mia and Kalu Bihari at East
Khabashpur.
“Beating
me up, they took me to Faridpur Circuit House on a rickshaw and Major Koreshi,
a Pakistani army official, Mojaheed, Afzal and other Razakars were holding a
meeting there,” said Ranjit.
According
to the prosecution, as a leader of Islami Chhatra Sangha, the student wing of
Jamaat in 1971, Azad was a close associate of the then central Chhatra Sangha
leader Mojaheed.
Getting
a signal from Mojaheed, Azad and his associates blindfolded Ranjit and took him
to Faridpur Zila School ground and put him under a plum tree, said Ranjit.
After
a few minutes a car went there.
“Someone
in the car in Urdu said, 'Don't shoot him. Hand him over to the Biharies and
slit his throat in the morning',” said Ranjit.
He
said he was then taken near a Bihari colony on Mollah Bari Road.
“Hanging
me up side down from a kadama tree, they [Azad and others] beat me up for one
hour and one of my teeth and a bone of my nose were broken,” said Ranjit.
Later,
they confined Ranjit to a house inside the Bahini colony and around midnight
Ranjit escaped breaking through a window, he said.
After
his testimony, defence counsel Munshi Ahsan Kabir cross-examined Ranjit and
asked six questions before the tribunal adjourned the case proceeding until
tomorrow following a defence plea for adjournment.
During
his 32-minute testimony in the case against Azad, Ranjit gave almost similar
descriptions about his confinement, torture and escape.
After
the Pakistani army arrived, they set up their camps at Faridpur Zila School,
the stadium, and Rajendra College.
“Bachchu
Razakar occupied the house of Ramkrisna Agarwal,” said Ranjit.
In
association with Azad, the Pakistani army used to catch and bring
pro-liberation people from the town and villages and tortured and killed them
at Faridpur stadium, said Ranjit.
“There
was a pond. Bodies were dumped there. The place was identified as the killing
field,” said the witness.
Earlier
yesterday, Mojaher Sikdar, the third prosecution witness in Azad's case,
testified that Azad killed Sudhangshu Mohan Roy, landlord of Kolaran of
Faridpur on May 14, 1971.
The
65-year-old from Kolaran said around 3:00pm on May 14, 1971, 10-12 armed people
were going towards east past his home.
“Of
them, I knew one. He was Abul Kalam Azad alias Bachchu. Bachchu was my
classmate in Bahirdia Qaumi Madrasa,” said Mojaher.
He
quoted Azad as saying, “I come from Faridpur after receiving training. Now I
will govern the country.”
Mojaher
followed Azad when they were going towards Sudhangshu's house. They brought
Sudhangshu and his son Monimoy Roy out and took them 200 yards east of their
home, said Mojaher.
“Bachchu
Razakar shot Sudhangshu Babu from behind,” said Mojaher, adding that another
person shot Monimoy while he was crying.
On
Monday, Nepal Chandra Pathak, the first prosecution witness in the case,
testified that he had seen Azad shoot Sudhanghsu to death.
Meanwhile,
Dhala Matabbar, the third prosecution witness in the case, in his testimony
said Azad had killed Chitta Ranjan Das of his village Fulbaria in Faridpur
during the Liberation War.
The
61-year-old said when he was on his way to Fulbaria market on the 19th of the
Bangla month Jaistha, he saw Azad and his three cohorts beat Chitta up.
Afterwards,
taking Chitta under a tree near his home, Bachchu Razakar shot Chitta, said
Matabbar.
On
Monday, Jyotsna Rani Das, wife of Chitta and second prosecution witness in the
case, testified that Azad killed her husband after torturing him.
Matabbar
said around 200 Hindu families left for India after the incident including
Jyotsna.
State-appointed
defence counsel Abdus Shukur Khan cross-examined the witnesses.
In
the beginning of the court proceeding, Shukur Khan informed the tribunal that
he could submit neither any documents nor a list of defence witness in the case
as he did not get any cooperation from Azad's family members.
Following
Shukur's time petition, the tribunal extended time until December 5 to submit
documents and defence witness list.
Meanwhile,
Triubnal-1 yesterday asked the prosecution to submit formal charge or a
progress report of the ongoing investigation against war-crimes suspect Jamaat
leader Mir Quashem Ali on January 29 next year.
The
tribunal gave the order following the prosecution's prayer for time extension.
Meanwhile,
the defence of Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee continued with their
closing arguments in the crimes against humanity trial at the tribunal
yesterday.
Defence
has spent nine sessions for placing their arguments.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Mojaheed involved in mass killing
Prosecution witness from Faridpur testifies
at war crimes tribunal
Staff Correspondent
Jamaat-e-Islami
leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed was involved in the mass killing committed
in four Hindu-dominated villages in Faridpur during the Liberation War.
Sixth
prosecution witness Abdul Malek Mia said this during his testimony in the
crimes against humanity case against Mojaheed before the International Crimes
Tribunal-2 yesterday.
He
said Pakistani army men along with armed Razakars, some Biharis (non Bangla
speaking people), one Hammad Moulana and Mojaheed went to the villages in the
middle part of the Bangla month Jaistha during the war.
“These
people were involved in looting, arson and killings [committed in these
villages],” said the 75-year-old former politician from Faridpur.
Malek
said he visited the villages on the following day of the incident and heard
about Mojaheed and others from survivors and victims.
On
June 21, the tribunal indicted the Jamaat secretary general from Faridpur with
seven charges of crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War.
The
three-member tribunal, headed by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir with members Justice
Obaidul Hassan and Judge M Shahinur Islam, recorded Malek's testimony as well
as his cross-examination before adjourning the case proceeding until November
27.
During
his 34-minute testimony, Malek said he was the president of Awami League
Dikrirchar Union unit and was living in Kajem Matabbar village of Faridpur in
1971.
The
Pakistani army was angry at the Hindu community and Awami League leaders and
activists and killed them, said Malek.
On
April 21, 1971, Pakistan army went to Faridpur and set up their camps at Police
Line, stadium and Faridpur Rajendra College, said the witness adding, “Along
with Razakars [an anti-liberation force] and Biharis, they committed looting
and other atrocities.”
On
a Jaistha morning, Malek's wife informed him that the Pakistani army was
approaching towards their village and Malek hid himself in a ditch beside his
home, said the witness.
“Our
village was Muslim-dominated. They [attackers] didn't do any harm to our
village,” said Malek, adding, “They entered the Hindu-dominated Bhangidangi,
Baidyadangi, Baladangi and Majhidangi, set houses ablaze there and killed
people shooting indiscriminately.”
The
atrocities were too much for him to take, said Malek, adding that the following
day Aftab Uddin, a Muslim league leader and the then chairman of their union,
whilst going past their home asked Malek to go to the affected villages with
him.
“I
went with him and visited the areas. All houses of the villages were burnt
down... Bodies were lying here and there,” said Malek.
When
they reached the villages some 50-60 people came out of hiding.
The
chairman ordered the people to bury the bodies and they followed his order,
said Malek, adding, “There were approximately 30-40 bodies there.”
Then
Malek came to know from the locals that the Pakistani army along with armed
Razakars, some Biharis, one Hammad Moulana and Mojaheed had gone to the
villages from Faridpur and these people were involved in the atrocities, said
the witness.
After
lunch, defence counsel Syed Mizanur Rahman completed cross-examination of Malek
within 45-minute and asked around 40 questions.
Replying
to a question, Malek said he could not say specifically from whom he had heard
the names of Hammad Moulana and Mojaheed on that day.
“You
have given an untrue testimony after being trained by prosecution to make Ali
Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed unfit and unacceptable in Faridpur and national
politics,” suggested Mizanur.
“It
is not true,” replied Malek.
Meanwhile,
the tribunal adjourned the case proceeding of former minister Abdul Alim until
today following a time petition from his defence counsels.
'Bengali intellectuals killed on Mojaheed's order'
Pakistani
forces in association with the collaborators had killed Bengali intellectuals
during Liberation War upon the direction of Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General
Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mojaheed.
"Mojaheed
gave the direction as commander of Al-Badr Bahini," said Shaheen Reza
Noor, executive editor of the daily Ittefaq, adding that Mojaheed was the
president of East Pakistan Islami Chhatra Sangha, the then student wing of
Jamaat-e-Islami, from October to December of 1971.
He
was testifying before the International Crimes Tribunal-2 on Sunday as the
forth witness against Mojaheed.
Noor
is the son of the then executive editor of Ittefaq, Serajul Hossian, who was
picked up by a group of seven/eight masked men on December 10 in 1971.
He
said Pakistan military force prepared the plot to kill the intellectuals to
eliminate the bright minds of the soon-to-be independent Bangladesh.
About
his father, Noor said Serajul was picked up by a group of people wearing masks
on December 10, 1971.
His
family even did not find the body of his father, Noor said.
Mojaheed
is facing seven charges, including murder, torture, and imprisonment of people,
genocide, and hatching a conspiracy to kill intellectuals during the Liberation
War.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Mojaheed led Al Badr in killing intellectuals: Shahriar
Kabir
PW also identifies Nizami as chief of Al-Badr
Star Online Report Al Badr led by Jamaat leader Ali Ahsan
Mohammad Mojaheed had killed hundreds of intellectuals, journalists, teachers
and other professionals between November 15 and December 15 in 1971.
Writer and journalist Shahriar Kabir told this to the
International Crimes Tribunal-2 on Sunday while giving deposition against
detained Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed.
Meanwhile, Misbahur Rahman Chowdhury, a member of the then
Bangladesh Islami Oikya Jote (BIOJ) of Moulvibazar unit, gave his testimony
before the tribunal as the first prosecution witness against Jamaat Ameer
Motiur Rahman Nizami.
Misbahur identified Nizami as the chief of Al-Badr formed to
collaborate with the Pakistani military during the 1971 Liberation War.
A leading researcher on war crimes Shahriar Kabir, also the
first prosecution witness against the Mojaheed, gave his deposition from
10:51am to 1:30pm in presence of war crimes suspect Mojaheed.
Al Badr was formed with the leaders of Jamaat's student wing
Islami Chhatra Sangha (ICS), he said.
Mojaheed, 64, was indicted with seven charges, including
murder, torture, and imprisonment of people, genocide, and hatching a
conspiracy to kill intellectuals during the Liberation War.
The writer said Mojaheed and Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman
Nizami were the leaders of Al Badr during the Liberation War in 1971 and they
were involved in the killing of intellectuals in a planned way.
Defence counsel will cross-examine Shahriar on August 30.
He was arrested on July 29 in 2010.
The tribunal-1 had rejected Mojaheed's bail petition twice
and after his case was transferred to the tribunal-2, it rejected his bail
prayer on August 7.
Mojaheed is among the 10 BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders
facing war crimes charges before the tribunals.
NIZAMI CASE
Misbahur Rahman Chowdhury told the tribunal that Sirajul
Islam, the then president of BIOJ, had sent him a letter requesting him to join
AL Badr during the Liberation War.
The letter reads, “If you join Al Badr, Motiur Rahman Nizami
would be happy.”
Sirajul Islam also mentioned in his letter that every
members of the BIOJ would also join Al Badr, Misbahur said in his statements.
On May 28, the tribunal framed 16 charges against Nizami for
his alleged involvement in murders and torture of unarmed people in 1971.
The 69-year-old Jamaat leader was the president of Islami
Chhatra Sangha (ICS), student wing of Jamaat in 1971.
Members of the ICS were used to form the AL Badr -- an
auxiliary force formed to collaborate with the Pakistani military that
committed genocide and mass killing during the nine-month-long war.
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