Hasan accused of yet another murder
A prosecution witness yesterday testified before International Crimes Tribunal-1 how fugitive war crimes accused Syed Hasan Ali chased and shot dead the former's fleeing neighbour from behind during an attack on Kishoreganj's Baligati village and, accompanied by other Razakars and the Pakistani occupation army, looted valuables and cattle, tortured villagers and set fire to 64 houses on December 11 during the 1971 Liberation War.
Meanwhile, a witness testified supporting others before him over Forkan Mallik's alleged atrocities against Hindus during the 1971 Liberation War including bayoneting to death a neighbouring woman clasping to herself her dying husband, forcing three brothers to convert to Islam and raping two women and a girl, leading to the latter's death.
Hiding in a jungle behind his house, the then 13-year-old Atahar Ali saw Hasan, the Tarail Thana commander of Razakars, the Pakistani army's auxiliary force, shoot dead Abdur Rashid in one Kashem Ali Fakir's paddy field where the victim had tried to hide.
Some 300 yards away, Rashid's house was set on fire, said the 12th prosecution witness.
Villagers took shelter in the neighbouring Bherontola village. The next day they returned and sent news of the murder to Rashid's father-in-law in Sahilati village, where the body was buried, he said.
State appointed defence counsel Abdus Shukur Khan cross-examined Atahar and proceedings were adjourned until today. Hasan faces six charges of crimes against humanity and genocide.
TRIBUNAL-2
Shanti Ranjan Dey, a resident of Subidkhali village in Patuakhali's Mirzaganj upazila, told the International Crimes Tribunal-2 that Forkan, Shahjahan Sikder, Dabir Sikder and other Razakars and the Pakistani army came to Subidkhali Bazar on August 12.
They detained local Awami League leader Kader Jamader, who along with another AL man Hafiz Khalifa were later killed by the Pakistani army and their collaborators that day, added the 63-year-old former Chhatra League activist.
Following information provided by Forkan, they detained local physician Deben Sarker and started looting his house. When they started torturing Deben right in his yard, his wife Biva Rani pleaded for his release, said the third prosecution witness.
“We have no children. You take whatever we have but do not kill him. I have none to look after me except my husband,” Shanti quoted Biva as saying.
Shanti's 90-year-old grandfather was slapped by a Pakistani army commander when he too pleaded for Deben's release. “The entire incident took place before my eyes. When I was taking my grandfather away I saw a Pakistani army man shoot Deben,” he said.
This is when Forkan charged the bayonet, said Shanti, adding that the attackers left with Kader for Patuakhali town.
He brought physician Shyamsundar Kundu who declared the couple dead. Later, activists of Peace Committee, another anti-liberation force, took over the house and used it as their office, he added.
Three days later, Forkan and his accomplices forced the conversion of Shyamsundar Kundu and his two brothers and gave them Muslim names while Razakars looted their house, prompting them to leave for India, said Shanti.
He stated of seeing Forkan and his accomplices take a neighbouring 17-year-old girl to a nearby locality on August 17, rape her and leave her beside their home. The girl succumbed to her injuries that night and her family also left, he added.
Three days later, Forkan, Shahjahan and other Razakars took two neighbouring women and brought them back injured the next day, prompting their family to leave, he said.
The 63-year-old accused denies the five charges. His counsel Abdus Salam Khan started cross-examining Shanti before the three-member tribunal led by Justice Obaidul Hassan adjourned proceedings till today.
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