War crimes shadow his politics
Senior BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury has always drawn attention for his alleged anti-liberation role during the independence movement in 1971.
Apart from some leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, BNP standing committee member Salauddin was allegedly involved in war crimes along with his father and younger brother.
Of the allegations against the BNP leader, the most discussed one is that of the killing of Nutan Chandra Singha, a philanthropist in Chittagong. It was mentioned in the Liberation War Documents, a government publication in the 80s.
An independent research on 1971 genocide also revealed his involvement in torture and killings of many freedom fighters during the 1971 Liberation War.
Post-war probes found that Salauddin, son of former speaker of Pakistan Fazlul Quader Chowdhury, tortured and ordered the killing of more than a hundred freedom fighters.
A platoon of Pakistan army was deployed in front of their Goods Hill residence in Chittagong.
Prafulla Chandra Singha, son of Nutan Chandra Singha, founder of herbal medicine factory Kundeshwari Oushadhalaya, testified to the probe committee that Salauddin on instructions of his father Fazlul Quader brought Pakistani army to their residence on April 13 in 1971. They killed Nutan Chandra.
After the Liberation War, a case was filed against him, his father and their associates under the Collaborators Act 1972 on charge of collaborating with the Pakistan occupation forces in Chittagong. He was also charged with the killing of Nutan Chandra.
Based on the deposition of the witnesses, investigators submitted a charge sheet against all accused in Nutan Chandra murder case filed in 1972.
The trial of the case began on January 29, 1972. Of the accused, Salauddin's father and five others were put behind bars while the rest five including Salauddin had been on the run.
The government on March 26 formed a special investigation agency under the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973 to probe the crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War.
War crimes investigators and the prosecution in September this year found evidence against Salauddin of his involvement in the killings of Hindus during the Liberation War in the port city.
The BNP leader was arrested early yesterday in a case filed for creating anarchy and arson attack on a car on the eve of the BNP-enforced June 27 hartal. Faruk Hossain, who was aboard the car, died in the incident.
Hours before Salauddin's arrest, the investigators sought the tribunal's permission to detain the BNP leader for his alleged involvement in war crimes.
A People's Inquiry Commission, headed by Begum Sufia Kamal, published a report in the 90s on "The Activities of the War Criminals and Collaborators during the Liberation War of 1971."
The report stated that Salauddin from Gahira village of Raozan in Chittagong with his father Fazlul Quader and brother Giasuddin Kader Chowdhury mobilised a number of collaborators against freedom fighters and pro-liberation people during the independence movement in 1971.
Bangla daily "Dainik Bangla" published a report on January 8, 1972 featuring the activities of Salauddin and his family.
The commission cited the Dainik Bangla report that says, "Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and his father Fazlul Quader Chowdhury brought a good number of young freedom fighters to their Goods Hill residence in Chittagong and unleashed repression on them. Salauddin in association with Pakistan army killed Omar Faruk, a student leader, at his residence on July 17, 1971."
The report mentions, “A platoon of Pakistan army was deployed in front of Salauddin's residence throughout the war.
“The common people caught his [Salauddin's] father when he was trying to flee to Myanmar with a maund of gold on December 18, 1971, two days after the Pakistan army surrendered to the joint forces."
The report also cited from a book, Torture Cells and Killing Grounds in Chittagong during the Liberation War.
In the book its author Shakhawat Hossain Manju writes about the Goods Hill residence of Salauddin's family.
The house became a centre for torturing freedom fighters and pro-liberation forces caught from different parts of the city. Salauddin was directly involved in those activities.
"The torture centre was being led by extremists of Muslim League.”
Another book titled Bangalir Muktijudhher Itibritto written by Mahbubul Alam describes the torture. On page 69, the author writes about freedom fighter Nizamuddin, who was caught by collaborators on July 5 and taken to Fazlul Quader.
The author quotes Nizamuddin saying, “I was tied and beaten for five hours at a stretch by Fazlul Quader's son Salauddin and associates Khoka, Khalil and Yousuf. I became unconscious. I was sent to the stadium on July 6. Until then, I was given neither food nor water. Once I wanted water, they said you had become a Hindu, we will not give you even water.”
In the book, the writer also writes, "Principal Nutan Chandra Singha was murdered in the Kundeshwari Bhaban on April 13.
“Two jeeps followed by four tanks had driven to Kundeshwari Bhaban. Salauddin was accompanying the Pakistani soldiers.”
On page 254-255, the author mentions, “The principal made the soldiers understand what he had done for the people of that area and what his future plan was. The military went back. But Salauddin again brought them back saying this Malaun (infidel) should be killed as per his father's orders.
“They fired three gunshots, the principal fell to the ground near the temple and died praying. Both the Muslims and Hindus were shocked at the killing, but Salauddin asked the Muslims not to deplore the death of a Malaun. Then Salauddin gang killed two more people, including one college student Dayal Hari Biswas in Gahira."
Sheikh Muhammad Jahangir of Chittagong told the commission that Salauddin in association with Pakistan army killed his father Sheikh Muzaffar Ahmed, a freedom fighter, and brother Sheikh Alamgir near Hathazari military camp on April 17, 1971.
After the independence, Jahangir filed a case against Salauddin and his gang.
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