SQ Chy had no link with Pak army

The defence of war crimes accused Salauddin Quader Chowdhury yesterday claimed their client had no connection with the Pakistani occupation army during the Liberation War in 1971.
On the second day of their closing arguments, defence counsel Ahsanul Huq Hena also claimed SQ Chowdhury had no affiliation with any political party or student wing of any party and was not a Razakar.
He also told the International Crimes Tribunal-1 that the prosecution had brought the allegations against SQ Chowdhury because he was a follower of his father.
The lawyer further claimed Fazlul Quader Chowdhury, father of the accused, also did not have good relations with the Pakistani army.
He said the investigation officer of the case could neither produce a picture of his client with the Pakistani army nor his statement against the Hindus.
Referring to the charges of crimes allegedly committed at Fazlul Quader's Goods Hill residence in Chittagong, Hena said the prosecution witnesses had claimed people were detained and tortured at that house.
Hena said there were many houses and shops around Goods Hill during the war.
“But why did no-one witness any detainees being taken in or out [of Goods Hill]?” he asked.
He claimed investigation officer Nurul Islam had intentionally skipped producing any neighbours as witnesses.
Recalling an earlier cross-examination when Nurul said he did not find it necessary to produce neighbours as witnesses, the defence counsel said, “How audacious he is!”
Hena sought an adjournment as he had another case to deal with at the International Crimes Tribunal-2. The tribunal adjourned the proceeding until today.
SQ Chowdhury, facing 23 war charges for his alleged involvement in the crimes against humanity, was produced before the tribunal.