Yet, son happy

Though Sayedee was acquitted on the charge of killing the father of Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, the famed writer is happy with the verdict.
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 found the Jamaat leader guilty on eight charges out of 20 and handed him death penalty.
"We are not surprised. It was a turbulent period in 1971 and it's quite normal not to have enough witnesses and evidence," said Zafar whose elder brother Humayun Ahmed, a celebrated writer, died last year.
Besides, he added, the charge of killing his father, Foyezur Rahman Ahmed, was less strong compared to other charges.
"I have talked to my mother, and my family has accepted it. We are happy with the verdict."
The verdict has ushered in a new chapter in Bangladesh and the country is heading towards a closure by bringing to justice the people who had aided the Pakistani occupation forces to commit genocide in 1971, mentioned Zafar.
"Now we can say to our new generation that we are heading towards closing permanently the black chapter of those people who had aided the Pakistani forces," he noted.
Although 42 years have passed since the country's independence, he considers the trial of Sayedee and other war crimes suspects to be very crucial.
"So many families in Pirojpur were completely destroyed; many people were tortured and killed in the atrocity. The families that went through great agony must have some peace of mind knowing the judgement today [yesterday]," said the famed educationalist.
He thanked the youths for rekindling the spirit of '71 through their movement at Gonojagoron Mancha in the capital's Shahbagh.
"An uncertainty loomed over the verdict of Sayedee when the Jamaat-Shibir unleashed anarchy after the verdict in Quader Mollah's case by calling hartals. But the young generation removed the uncertainty with their movement and gave us a platform to raise our voice," he maintained.
He observed that the verdict has paved way for building Bangladesh free from the stigma of crimes against humanity.
Zafar's father Foyezur Rahman Ahmed, sub-divisional police officer, was murdered during the Liberation War.
According to one of the charges, Sayedee publicly asked his men to capture Saif Mizanur Rahman, the then deputy magistrate of Pirojpur sub-division, as the magistrate organised a Sarbodolio Sangram Parishad to inspire people to join the independence war.
On May 5, 1971, Sayedee and his associate Monnaf (now deceased), a member of the local Peace Committee, accompanied by the Pakistan army picked up Saif from a hospital (where he was hiding) and took him to the bank of river Baleshwar.
On the same day, Foyezur and Abdur Razzak (SDO in charge of Pirojpur) were arrested from their workplaces and taken to the riverbank, reads the charge.
Sayedee as a member of the killing squad was present there and all three government officials were gunned down. Their bodies were thrown into the river Baleshwar. Sayedee directly participated and abetted the gang in the abduction and killing of the trio.
But the tribunal in its verdict declared that the charge was not proved.