Martyr's widow identifies Mollah

A woman yesterday told International Crimes Tribunal-2 that Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah had not allowed her to touch her husband's body at Ghatarchar in Keraniganj on November 25, 1971.
Identifying Quader Mollah in the dock, Nur Jahan, widow of martyred Nabi Hossain Bulu and the eighth prosecution witness in the war crimes case against the Jamaat leader, said, "His [Quader Mollah's] hair was short and he had no beard at the time [in 1971]."
Nur Jahan, a resident of Ghatarchar, added that apart from her father-in-law, she had heard from many of her village that Quader Mollah had killed her husband on November 25, 1971 and that at least 50-60 others had also been killed that day.
On August 8, Abdul Majid Palowan, the seventh prosecution witness of the case, told the tribunal that Quader Mollah directly took part in the killing of around 60 people at Ghatarchar in Keraniganj on November 25, 1971.
Mozaffar Ahmed Khan, the first prosecution witness in the case, also narrated the same massacre in his testimony on July 3.
The three-member tribunal headed by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, with Justice Obaidul Hassan and Md Shahinur Islam as members, adjourned the case proceedings until August 26. The eighth witness is set to face cross-examination by the defence on the day. Defence counsel Abdus Sobhan Tarafder asked only two questions before the adjournment.
The tribunal on May 28 framed six charges of crimes against humanity against the Jamaat assistant secretary general. The fourth charge relates to the atrocities at Ghatarchar village.
During her 24-minute testimony, Nur Jahan said she was 13 during the Liberation War and was pregnant at that time.
"I was living with my husband at Ghatarchar [in Keraniganj, on the outskirts of the capital, during the war] and an incident took place [at Ghatarchar] on November 25, 1971," said the witness, who wore a veil and spectacles.
"Shooting started that day after Fajr prayers. Hearing the sounds of gunshots, my husband and I hid under our cot," said Nur Jahan, adding that after a while the shooting ceased.
As they stepped out, they saw Pakistan army soldiers approaching their house. Her husband went to his uncle Mozammel's place and soon she heard the sounds of gunshots again.
"After some time, my maternal aunt came to our house and told my mother-in-law that Bulu was no more," said Nur Jahan, adding, "After hearing the news, I rushed to that house screaming and saw that our uncle [Mozammel] had been shot too."
"I saw some Pakistani soldiers and a short and dark Bangalee man. My husband lay on the ground there," said Nur Jahan, adding, "When I approached, to hold my husband, the Bangalee man asked me to leave the spot, pointing something like a rifle at me."
She said she had left the place in fear but went back there between 10:30am and 11:00am and found her husband's body still lying there.
At least 50-60 people of Ghatarchar were killed on the day and Dr Joynal and Mokter Hossain were also involved in the killing, added Nur Jahan.
"I have heard from my father-in-law that Jamaat leader Quader Mollah had killed my husband," said the witness, adding, "Besides my father-in-law Luddu Mia, I have heard about the killing from many others, including Majid Palowan [seventh prosecution witness] of my village."
At the end of the testimony, Mohammad Ali, conducting prosecutor of the case, asked Nur Jahan if she could identify the "short and dark Bangalee man" of her statement.
She replied affirmatively and identified Quader Mollah in the dock, saying his hair was short and he did not have a beard back then.
Meanwhile, the tribunal completed recording the defence cross-examination of Abdul Majid Palowan, the seventh prosecution witness in the case.
Abdus Sobhan Tarafder cross-examined the witness for 80 minutes and asked him around 50 questions.
In his testimony, Palowan said he was hiding behind a tree from where he saw Quader Mollah firing at the people at Ghatarchar School ground on November 25, 1971.
The defence counsel suggested that Palowan did not see Quader Mollah, who did not go there that day.
But Palowan rejected the defence's claim by just saying, "It is not true."
There was no rifle in Quader Mollah's hand and he did not open fire on the day of the incident, argued the defence counsel.
Palowan again rejected the defence's claim.
In reply to a question, Palowan said he was president of a ward unit of the ruling Awami League in his locality.
"You have given false testimony against the accused as you are loyal to the present government," said Abdus Sobhan. "It is not true," said the witness.
The tribunal yesterday adjourned the case proceedings against another Jamaat leader, Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, until August 28 when the fifth prosecution witness is expected to testify.
The fifth prosecution witness was supposed to give his testimony yesterday, but prosecutor AKM Saiful Islam told the tribunal all the witnesses are from outside Dhaka and it was not possible to bring them before the Eid and sought time.