A prosecution witness yesterday told the International Crimes Tribunal that Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee, veiled in a "burka", had escaped on a bull cart from a group of pursuing freedom fighters in Jessore.
Julfikar Ali, the 16th prosecution witness, was testifying under cross-examination yesterday in the case charging Sayedee with crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.
Julfikar said he took part in the war under Sector 8 Commander Major Manzur. Soon after the Liberation War, he and a group of freedom fighters went to Jessore's Bagharpara in search of collaborators, he said.
There they came to know that a person was hiding in the house of one Rowshan Ali, he said, adding that afterwards he even "saw the person with Rowshan in Bagharpara Bazar.”
When "Commander Solaiman Shaheb" gave the order, “we surrounded Rowshan Ali's house but failed to find Sayedee there.
“When we asked for the person's identity, Rowshan said the man was Delawar Hossain Sayedee.
“Later we searched for him (Sayedee) and came to know that he had fled on a bull cart wearing a burka towards Talbaria,” said Julfikar.
Afterwards, they came to know that Sayedee had come to Rowshan's house from Pirojpur and was involved in rape, looting, arson and torture during the Liberation War, he said.
“I saw him (Sayedee) in 2005 or 2006 addressing a programme in Bagharpara. At the meeting he said, 'I would not have survived without Rowshan bhai's help'. He then called Rowshan to the podium," said Julfikar.
When Julfikar finished his deposition, identifying Sayedee in the dock, defence counsel Mizanul Islam started his cross-examination.
Replying to a question, Jufikar said he had been involved with Awami League politics even before the Liberation War and was currently the general secretary of Bagharpara Upazila Awami League.
Counsel Kafil Uddin Chowdhury, replacing Mizanul, asked Julfikar whether he had heard of a book, “Muktijuddhe Jesseore”, written by Rokonuddoula, the Jessore correspondent of Daily Sangbad.
Julfikar said he had not.
“Do you know that Rokonuddoula mentions your name as a collaborator in this book?” asked Kafiluddin.
Julfikar said he knew of no such thing and it was not true.
With the tribunal's permission Julfikar said, “I was caught by Razakars (collaborators) after a weeklong battle and they peeled off my skin. One cannot be a Razakar if someone just says so in his book.”
He added that he had been getting freedom fighters' allowance for many days.
Kafiluddin suggested that Julfikar had given the “false deposition” to gain favours from the government as he had no job. Julfikar denied the charge.
Earlier on the day, defence counsels finished the cross-examination of the 15th prosecution witness, Solaiman Hossain.
When the defence counsels said Solaiman had gone to jail twice on corruption charges, Solaiman replied that it was actually four times and for his involvement in Awami League politics.
When the defence asked for the charges to be specified, the tribunal stopped them, saying that they could ask the questions during the argument.
The tribunal led by Justice Md Nizmaul Huq is scheduled to record the deposition of the 17th witness today.
Sayedee, nayeb-e-ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami, is among six Jamaat and two BNP leaders currently facing war crimes charges at the tribunal.