Another witness links them to Hindu man's murder
Another prosecution witness yesterday linked war crimes accused Shamsuddin Ahmed to the murder of a Hindu man in Kishoreganj during the Liberation War in 1971.
Abdul Rashid Bhuiyan, of Ramnagar village in Karimganj upazila of the district, also told the International Crimes Tribunal-1 that family members of Paresh could not cremate his body as per Hindu ritual following threats by Shamsuddin.
Earlier, Paresh's sister Bashona Rani Chowdhury and his friend Shah Alam gave similar descriptions of the incident.
Shamsuddin is one of five accused facing seven charges. The others are: Gazi Abdul Mannan, Nasiruddin Ahmed, Hafiz Uddin and Azharul Islam. The last four are being tried in absentia.
Rashid, 14th prosecution witness in the case against the five, said he knew both Paresh and Shamsuddin as they all studied at the same school in 1971.
Rashid said on September 7, 1971 he was fishing near Paresh's house and saw Shamsuddin along with two Razakars marching west. Shamsuddin called Paresh and scolded him for being a Hindu.
"Then I heard a gunshot and people screaming," said Rashid, adding when the Razakars left, he along with others carried Paresh to his house.
Paresh died a little later, he added.
One Shah Alam, who had to carry the bullet-box of the Razakars, said Shamsuddin threatened to burn the whole village down if they cremated Paresh's body.
Paresh was buried, Rashid said.
The defence completed cross-examination of Rashid before the tribunal adjourned the case proceeding until today.
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