Razakars shot dead villagers

A prosecution witness in the war crimes case against AKM Yusuf yesterday testified that Razakars indiscriminately fired shots in a market during the 1971 Liberation War killing her husband, alongside others of Shakharikhathi village of Bagerhat's Kachua upazila.
The 26th witness, Ullasini Das, 70, also told International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-2 that around three month before the killings, Razakars had forcefully converted 200-300 Hindu villagers, including herself and her family, to Islam.
“At that time, I heard people saying that Razakar Major Yusuf Moulana will come to our area within one or two months and there was no need to worry about our security,” she said.
The Jamaat-e-Islami leader, historically known as founder of the infamous Razakar force, is facing 13 charges of involvement in crimes against humanity and genocide committed in greater Khulna region during the Liberation War.
On December 9, 2013, the 15th witness, Lutfar Rahman Nakib, also a freedom fighter, testified that, on Yusuf's directives, Razakars shot dead 42 Hindus in the market, Shakharikathi Bazar, and in mid-July of 1971 also carried out the conversions.
The investigation officer (IO) was scheduled to be produced yesterday as the last witness, as per the prosecution's January 22 statement. Instead, Prosecutor Syed Haider Ali sought permission to produce another witness, Ullasini.
ICT-2 recorded her testimony and cross-examination, completed through five questions, before adjourning proceedings until today, when the IO is expected to testify.
During her testimony, Ullasini said Razakers in the Bangla month of Shraban threatened the Hindus of dire consequences if they did not convert.
After two to four days, they gathered at the home of one Sanatan Doctor as per the Razakars' orders and were converted and forced to eat beef (which is forbidden in the Hindu religion), she said.
After the shooting on the 18th of the Bangla month of Kartik, her brother and father-in-laws returned home from the market but they could not state the whereabouts of her husband, Mahadev Chandra Das, who was also there.
 She found him with bullet wounds in the market and he died on the way back home, said Ullasini with tears streaming down her face.
The body was set adrift on the Bishkhali river as the circumstances were not favourable for a funeral, she said, adding “At that time, people were saying that Yusuf Moulana is destroying the country.”