Subhan was with Pak army
A prosecution witness yesterday testified that Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdus Subhan had accompanied around 300 Pakistani army men during a synchronised attack on several villages in Pabna that left 170 to 175 people dead on May 12, 1971.
Fazlul Haque, an organiser of the Liberation War in Pabna, told the International Crimes Tribunal-2 that he had seen Subhan along with the Pakistani army and 30/40 detainees that day.
The 28th prosecution witness in the case against Subhan also said he along with the victims' families had prepared a list of 170 to 175 victims of the massacre.
Earlier, several prosecution witnesses linked Subhan, the then ameer of Pabna unit Jamaat, to the mass killing committed in several villages under Satbaria union in Sujanagar upazila.
Subhan, a nayeb-e-ameer of Jamaat, faces nine charges including genocide committed in Pabna during the nine-month-long war. The octogenarian accused, however, pleads not guilty before the court.
Fazlul, former principal of Satbaria College, said he was the chief of Satbaria Union Sangram Committee, a pro-liberation platform, and had motivated the youth to join the war.
Subhan was the general secretary of Pabna Peace Committee, an anti-liberation platform and Pakistani army Captain Jayedi was its chairman, he said, adding that Subhan became its vice-chairman later.
“Moulana Subhan was very fluent in Urdu and Arabic, which helped him establish a good rapport with the Pakistani army,” said the 74-year-old witness.
He added Subhan along with around 300 Pakistani army men on May 12 launched an attack on several villages in their union.
Panicked, he was fleeing from his Nishchintapur village towards Kacuri village when he had seen a white vehicle and several army vehicles in front of Kuripara Primary School, said Fazlul.
“I saw Moulana Subhan talking with Pakistani army near the white vehicle. I also saw 30 to 40 people including Khandkar Obaidullah, Seken and Entaz detained and tied,” he added.
The witness said after some time he had heard gunshots and when the Pakistani army left, he found bullet-hit Seken, Mani and Entaz lying in front of the school.
Fazlul said he had left the area for Chinakhara village and returned to Satbaria the next day. He had also visited several attacked villages and prepared a list of 170/175 victims, said the witness, adding, “We could not enlist the unidentified victims.”
Defence counsel Mizanul Islam had begun cross-examining the witness before the three-member tribunal led by Justice Obaidul Hassan with member Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Shahinur Islam adjourned the proceedings.
Fazlul is set to face further cross-examination today.
ICT-1
The defence of ATM Azharul Islam yesterday completed placing arguments on all six charges brought against their client for his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity and genocide during the war.
The three-member tribunal led by Justice M Enayetur Rahim asked the defence to complete the rest of their arguments by today and said they would hear rebuttal from the prosecution tomorrow.
Azharul, who claims himself innocent during indictment, was produced before the tribunal.
State-appointed defence counsel Mohammad Abul Hasan has meanwhile finished cross-examining the second prosecution witness against fugitive former Jatiya Party lawmaker Abdul Jabbar in a war crimes case against him.
Jabbar, who was the chairman of Mathbaria Peace Committee in Pirojpur, faces five charges for his alleged involvement in killing, mass killing, looting and forced conversion.
Jabbar has been on the run since 2009.
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