Quashem's detention extended

International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday granted the prosecution two more months to submit an investigation report on Mir Quashem Ali's alleged involvement in war crimes. All the while the suspect will be in jail.
Receiving a progress report on the investigation, the court also said on November 27 the prosecution could submit a progress report if it failed to complete the probe by then.
The tribunal chairman Justice Md Nizamul Huq yesterday also asked the chief of investigation agency to submit a reply within 15 days on defence counsels' allegation that it had defied the tribunal's order.
Quashem's defence counsel Mizanul Islam had claimed that the agency did not inform them when the detained suspect would be quizzed at a safe house in Dhaka even though the court had asked the agency to inform the defence 48 hours prior to the grilling.
Quashem was yesterday produced before the tribunal.
On behalf of the prosecution, lawyer Hrishikesh Saha told the tribunal that important information regarding Quashem's involvement in war crimes had been found.
“Evidence was found about two torture cells operated by Quashem in Panchlaish and Asadganj in Chittagong,” he said, adding the suspect was spending a huge amount of money to recruit lobbyists.
He said witnesses had begun to talk in custody and the duration of the detention should also be extended until the probe was done.
Hrishikesh then told the tribunal that the prosecution needed more time to complete the probe.
Hrishikesh asked the tribunal to allow two more days to quiz Quashem at the safe house as the investigation officer could not finish quizzing the suspect on September 15.
Following his submission, the tribunal gave the order.
It fixed September 30 for an order to be issued on whether it would allow further quizzing of the suspect.
Investigation officer of the agency quizzed Quashem at a safe house in Dhanmondi on September 15.
Quashem was arrested on June 17, two hours after the tribunal had issued an arrest warrant against him in connection with his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.
GHULAM AZAM'S CASE
A prosecution witness in the war crimes case against former Jamaat chief Ghulam Azam yesterday said he had rescued one person after the Pakistani army men and Razakars gunned 39 people down in Brahmanbaria.
All but one died.
Witness Sona Miah yesterday narrated how he rescued the bullet hit person on November 21, 1971.
“On the night of Eid [November 21], I heard the sounds of cars and people. The Punjabis [Pakistani army men] shot and killed people. I heard the gun shots and saw the bodies the next morning,” said the septuagenarian, who lived in Dakhinpara of Koirotola village in Brahmanbaria.
“Seeing me, the Razakars asked why I was there. I saw them [Razakars] digging and there were many bodies. Among the dead bodies, I noticed the movement of one,” said the witness, who made his maiden visit to Dhaka to testify yesterday.
Sona then requested the collaborators not to bury the person alive and let the person go. Razakars then buried the 38 bodies.
On Wednesday, Shafiuddin Ahmed, another prosecution witness in this case, had testified.
He had said 39 people were taken by the Pakistani army for killing from Brahmanbaria jail where they were kept detained. Shafiuddin was in that jail and he too had been tortured like the 39 others.
Shafiudin, after the war, came to know that of the 39, Chinu Miah had luckily survived.
Freedom fighters Shiru Miah and Shiru's son Anwar Kamal were among the 38 people who had died.
The killing of the 38 people is one of the five charges framed against Ghulam Azam. The charges say that the Pakistani forces with the help of their collaborators--Razakar and Al-Badr--killed the 38 after receiving a written order from Ghulam Azam.
Defence counsel Mizanul Islam later cross-examined Sona Miah.
Mizanul suggested that the witness had forgotten most of the incidents of the war.
“How could I forget the incident of 1971,” Sona replied.
The proceedings of the case were adjourned until October 1.
MOJAHEED'S CASE
International Crimes Tribunal-2 yesterday continued recording the cross-examination of Zahir Uddin Jalal, second prosecution witness in a case against war crimes accused Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed.
The three-member tribunal, headed by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, recorded the cross-examination for the second day before adjourning proceedings until September 30, when Jalal will face further cross-examination.
Defence counsel Syed Mizanur Rahman cross-examined the witness for three hours and asked him around 80 questions, mostly about his description of incidents which “occurred” on March 25-27, 1971.
Replying to a question, Jalal, who testified on September 20, said he lived at New Circuit House from March 27 to April 7, 1971.
“But sometimes I used to go to my paternal uncle's house in Old Dhaka when the curfew was relaxed,” said the witness.
“You used to go there [uncle's house] for hanging out or to stay?” asked Mizanur.
“I used to go there to hide from collaborators of Pakistan,” said Jalal, adding, “I used to carry two kilograms of rope whenever I went there.”
At that point, the tribunal asked him the reason behind carrying the rope.
“When activists of anti-liberation forces, including Islami Chhatra Sangha [the then student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami], began making a list [of pro-liberation people], we used to carry ropes so that we could escape [by using it] whenever they [anti-liberation forces] would come to pick us up,” replied Jalal.
The tribunal, however, did not record the reply.
Mojaheed is facing seven charges of crimes against humanity, including murder, genocide and hatching conspiracy to kill intellectuals during the war.
Meanwhile, the same tribunal adjourned case proceedings against Jamaat leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman until October 1 as the prosecution could not produce its witnesses.
The tribunal re-fixed the date after Prosecutor AKM Saiful Islam said they could not produce witnesses owing to their illnesses.
Justice Fazle Kabir told the prosecution, “Failure to produce witnesses in court is a matter of serious discredit for the prosecution. Don't fail on the next occasion.”
Earlier, the prosecution twice failed to produce its witnesses in the case.
Kamaruzzaman is facing seven charges of crimes against humanity.