Jabbar shot dead brother

A third villager yesterday narrated witnessing a family member being shot dead by war crimes accused fugitive Abdul Jabbar in Pirojpur's Noli village during the 1971 Liberation War.

Santos Kumar Kharati, 63, the 19th prosecution witness, was testifying before the three-member International Crimes Tribunal-1. Jabbar is facing five charges of crimes against humanity.

 “On May 22, 1971 members of Razakar (auxiliary force of the Pakistani occupation army) led by accused Abdul Jabbar attacked our village Noli and the accused shot dead my elder brother Sokha Nath Kharati.

 “During the incident I was with my brother,” he said, adding that later he had hidden himself with others in a nearby canal to save their lives.

 “On Jabbar's instruction razakars shot dead a total of 11 persons including Jitendra Nath Biswas, Ganesh Chandra Mistri, Nepal Chandra Mistri, Upendra Nath Mistri and Bosonto Halda,” the witness said.

Santos recalled one Razakar member, Nur Hossain, who shot dead two villagers, Nishi Kanta Biswas and Surendra Nath Biswas, also on Jabbar's instructions.

After the killing, Razakars looted and set fire to 60 houses.

 “When Abdul Jabbar and the Razakars left our village in the evening, we returned to our houses and buried the bodies,” said Santos.

The proceeding of the case was adjourned until November 9.

ABDUS SUBHAN

The prosecution yesterday continued placing their closing arguments in the war crimes case against Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdus Subhan at International Crimes Tribunal-2.

On the second day of placing their arguments, Prosecutor Rezia Sultana Chaman stated the second and third charges citing testimonies of five prosecution witnesses.

The three-member tribunal led by Justice Obaidul Hassan adjourned the case proceedings until Sunday, when the prosecution will place further arguments.

Subhan, a nayeb-e-ameer of Jamaat, faces nine charges including genocide committed in Pabna during the Liberation War in 1971. Subhan, however, pleaded not guilty before the tribunal.