13th witness links Shakhawat to brother's torture

Prosecutors yesterday once again got time to submit the investigation report against five Patuakhali men who were allegedly involved in crimes committed during the Liberation War in 1971.

The report was scheduled to be submitted yesterday and prosecutor Rezia Sultana Chaman sought one month. International Crimes Tribunal-1 directed them to submit the report, if there were any, on May 17.

Earlier, the prosecution took time twice on December 1 last year and January 21 this year to submit the report.

The accused are Esahaq Shikder, Abdul Goni Hawlader, Md Awal alias Awal Moulavi, Abdus Sattar Pyada and Solaiman Mridha.

According to the tribunal's investigation agency, Esahaq was a member of a local Peace Committee, an anti-liberation organisation, while the rest were members of a local Razakar Bahini, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani occupation army, during the Liberation War.

Moreover, the 13th prosecution witness in a case against former Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP lawmaker Shakhawat Hossain and eight other Jessore men gave his testimony before the tribunal.

Majid Morol, 72, linked Shakhawat and his two accomplices, Sheikh Md Mujibur Rahman and Billal Hossain Biswas, who are also accused in the case, to the torture of his brother Nur Uddin Morol.

Earlier, Nur Uddin, a freedom fighter, gave his testimony as the third prosecution witness, stating that Shakhawat and other Razakars had confined and tortured him at a Razakar camp.

The six other accused are Abdul Khaleq, Lutfar Morol, Kazi Ohidul Islam, Aziz Sardar, Aziz Sardar (2) and Ibrahim Hossain. Majid, however, did not mention their names in his testimony.

The nine face five charges. Of them, Shakhawat, Billal and Lutfar are now in jail and have pleaded not guilty. The rest are on the run.

The tribunal adjourned proceedings until April 20 after defence counsels completed cross-examining Majid.