Tortured victim testifies at tribunal
A war crimes victim yesterday testified that Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdus Subhan shot him after lining him and other detainees up at the premises of a school in Pabna during the Liberation War.
Three of his chest bones were broken in the shooting, Rustam Ali told the International Crimes Tribunal-2.
But that was not the end. Subhan also directed the Pakistani soldiers, who accompanied him in the incident on April 13, 1971, to charge him with bayonet, which left him senseless.
Subhan also shot a detainee dead and injured another, who was later killed by the Pakistani army and Biharis as he had tried to escape by running through the school field, he said.
"... I want his [Subhan] execution," Rustam, the fourth prosecution witness in Subhan's case, told the tribunal after identifying him in the dock.
The Jamaat nayeb-e-ameer faces nine charges, including genocide and murders committed in Pabna during the war. Subhan, however, pleaded not guilty before the court.
During his 50-minute testimony, Rustam, a resident of Juktitala village in Iswardi upazila of Pabna, said he had been working at the shop of Jayenuddin in Pakshi Bazar before 1971.
On the morning of April 13, 1971, Rustam, Joyenuddin and his son-in-law went to Saraghat village to collect some dues. While returning from the village, the trio had heard gunshots and noticed fire in Juktitala.
"Feeling scared, we hid ourselves in a bamboo bush behind one Maizuddin of Juktitala.
"But the accused [Subhan] saw us and he along with the Pakistan army and Biharis detained us and took us to Juktitala Jame Masjid," Rustam said.
He said he found Israil, his mother Tulu and his uncle on a Pakistani army truck there and later they [Rustam, Joyenuddin and his son-in-law] along with the trio were taken to Juktitala School by an army truck.
"Moulana Subhan was also in the truck," said the 65-year-old witness.
After reaching the school, he found Harisuddin, Ismail and another person there and all of them were asked to line up, said Rustam.
"In a bid to escape, Harisuddin and Ismail started running away from the line and then Subhan Moulana opened fire from his pistol.
"The shooting left Ismail dead on the spot while bullet-hit Haris fell down near a bamboo bridge," he said.
"But, the Pakistan army and Biharis shot him [Haris] dead on the orders of Moulana Subhan," Rustam said, adding: "Then, Subhan Moulana once again asked us to stand in a line."
"At one stage, Subhan Moulana fired two shots at me. One of the bullets hit me in the left hand and the other in the chest, leaving three broken bones. Then the Pakistan army charged bayonet on my jaws as per his [Subhan] direction and I became senseless," he said.
Rustam wept as he showed his injury marks to the court.
Rustam also said he regained his senses around 4:30pm and one Korban Ali of his village and some other people took him, bullet-hit Israil and Israil's mother to one Tariqul doctor in Ruppur village.
"Korban Ali told us, 'You were about to die unless you were brought here. All other detainees including Joyenuddin and his son-in-law were killed.'"
Rustam said he later went to India for treatment and returned to Bangladesh three months before the end of the Liberation War.
Defence lawyer Shahjahan Kabir asked the witness a single question before the three-member tribunal led by Justice Obaidul Hassan with members Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Shahinur Islam adjourned the proceedings until May 12.
Rustam will face cross-examination on that day.
TRIBUNAL-1
Meanwhile, defence yesterday completed cross-examining two prosecution witnesses in the war crimes case against ATM Azharul Islam.
Defence counsel Abdus Sobhan Tarafdar examined the credibility of the statements of the siblings who testified about torture on them by the war crimes accused at the International Crimes Tribunal-1.
Azhar is facing six charges of murder, genocide and crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War.
The defence counsel made suggestions that that the witnesses gave untrue statements against Azharul. Both the witnesses, however, denied the suggestions.
In their deposition, Rafiqul Hasan Nannu described how he was lashed by electric wires on the morning of December 1, 1971.
Rafiqul's younger brother Sakhawat Hossain Ranga said the war crimes accused had slapped him hard for chanting 'Joy Bangla' on a day of mid November.
Azhar had been produced at the dock. The proceedings of the case were adjourned till May 18.
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