BNP doesn't want to join JS to hinder war crime trial
Joint General Secretary of Awami League Mahbubul Alam Hanif yesterday said BNP has decided not to join parliament to hinder the trial of the war criminals and to cover up the corruption of Khaleda Zia's two sons, Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman.
"BNP won't be able to show any logic behind their attempts to save war criminals Noman, now Vice-chairman of BNP, and his elder brother late Abdullah Al Harun, former Awami League leader, made arrangements for us to go to India so that we could be saved," he said.
"However my father [Natun] refused to go anywhere leaving his country and ma [the idol of the temple]," Prafulla added.
On the motive behind the killing, Prafulla told reporters that families of some 27 Chittagong University teachers including that of Prof Anisuzzaman and Prof Ali Ahsan had taken shelter at their home after March 25, 1971.
He claimed that it angered Salahuddin's father former president of the Muslim League Fazlul Quader Chowdhury, who was for an undivided Pakistan.
"Fazlul spread rumours branding our home a safe haven for freedom fighters and Indian forces and made us a target of the occupation force," he said.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had once visited their home just before the national election of 1970. all along undefeated Fazlul lost in that election for the first time. He was perhaps infuriated by his defeat in the election in which a large number of people from minority communities could cast their votes, he said.
Prafulla said that his elder brother Satya Ranjan Singha filed a murder case with Raozan Police Station on January 29, 1972 against 10 people including Salahuddin and his father Fazlul.
Of the accused Fazlul Quader, Abdul Mabud, Golam Ali, Nowab Mia and Abdul Ahmed were arrested while Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, Md Bakshee, Fazal Haque, Abul Kashem and Abdus Salam were on the run, he said.
The then sub-inspector A Hossain of Raozan Police Station submitted a charge sheet against the 10 on January 25, 1973.
Fazlul died as a prisoner in Dhaka Central Jail on July 18, 1973.
A few hours after the visit of the investigators, Salahuddin at a press conference at his Goodshill home in the port city said, "I had no role to play in '71. I left for Pakistan on April 8 in 1971…
"I was not involved in politics in 1971. After the war people of the country brought me into politics."
"I can also say that I heard Prafulla Chandra conspired to kill my father," Salahuddin said.
About the murder case against 10 people including himself and his father, Salahuddin said he did not know anything about the case.
"We urge the government not to take any path or steps for which the people of Chittagong get the chance to get themselves separated from the national government," he said.
"I want the trial of war criminals too. My appeal to the tribunal is that it identify the true war criminals.
"If the trial process is not acceptable to the people and the nation, they may not accept the verdict," he said.
"I am proud of the communal harmony existing in the country. Please don't initiate anything that could jeopardise this harmony," Salahuddin said.
The investigation team is on a two-day visit to Chittagong. After visiting Nutan's home, the team went to two killing fields at Jagatmallapara and Unasatturpara.
The Pakistani army with the help of local collaborators had killed 37 pro-Liberation War people, including seven of a family, at Jagatmallapara on April 13, 1971, and 79 Hindus at Unasatturpara the same day, witnesses told investigators.
The Razakers and the Al Badr gathered 37 people irrespective of age and sex at the house of Kiron Chowdhury at Jagatmallapara of Gohira in the name of a peace committee meeting.
The Pakistani force opened fire on them killing them all, said Kiron's nephew Ashis Chowdhury who lost his father, elder brother and other family members including uncle Kiron. All the 37 were Hindus.
In Unasatturpara of Pahartoli union in Raozan, collaborators gathered over 100 villagers, again all Hindus, at the yard of Jogesh Chandra Mohazan in the name of holding a meeting for peace. The Pakistani army sprayed bullets on them killing 79. They dumped the bodies near a spring, said witnesses.
Seventy-year-old Urmila Paul miraculously escaped death that day. She, however, lost her husband Dhirendra Paul, mother Biraja Paul and other members of her family. She is still haunted by the barbarism of that day.
After visiting the killing grounds tribunal prosecutor Zead Al Malum told reporters that the team will visit some other mass graves in the port city and will speak with families of war martyrs.
"Media has long been publishing war-crimes allegation against Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury and his father Fazlul Quader Chowdhury. We are also getting such witness accounts," Malum added.
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