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War Crimes Trial

Sayedee accused of looting, arson

Staff Correspondent
Reinforcing the testimonies of two previous witnesses, prosecution witness Mostafa Hawlader yesterday told the International Crimes Tribunal that he saw Sayedee along with other collaborators looting and burning a number of shops in Parerhaat Bazar in 1971.
Mostafa said he saw Delawar Hossain Sikder (he kept referring to Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee as Delawar
Hossain Sikder) direct Pakistani soldiers to the houses of Hindus and Awami League supporters in Parerhaat Bazar during the Liberation War.
“The Pakistan army then ordered a looting of the bazaar. Delawar Hossain Sikder, Moslem Moulana, Sekander Sikder and Khalil Moulvi along with other peace committee members then looted 30 to 35 shops at Parerhaat Bazar,” Mostafa, the eighth prosecution witness, said.
Earlier, Mahbubul Alam Hawlader and Ruhul Amin Nobin, the first two prosecution witnesses, also narrated how the Jamaat leader had been involved in the looting of shops and houses in Parerhaat Bazaar.
Mostafa, 56, concluded his testimony yesterday in the case filed against Sayedee in connection with crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War of 1971.
After his deposition, the three-member tribunal led by its chairman, Justice Md Nizamul Huq, began record-
ing Mostafa's cross-examination yesterday. The cross-examination will resume today.
Mostafa, who used to sell chhola muri (a mix of chickpeas and puffed rice) at Parerhaat during the Liberation War, was at the Parerhaat Bazar on May 7, 1971.
According to him, Sayedee was known as Delawar Hossain Sikder until around 15 to 16 years ago, when he came to be known as Delawar Hossain Sayedee.
He said he remembers seeing Delawar Hossain Sikder, Sekander Sikder, Danesh Mollah, Moslem Moulana and other members of the peace committee and Razakars (collaborators) waiting near the north end of Parerhaat Bazar.
Later, 52 Pakistani soldiers arrived at the rickshaw
stand near the bazaar in 26 rickshaws.
“Delawar Hossain Sikder, Sekander Sikder, Danesh Mollah, and Moslem Moulana spoke to the soldiers. They showed them the houses of Hindus and Awami League supporters,” he said.
It was then that Sayedee, along with other collaborators and Pakistani soldiers, looted the houses and shops in Parerhaat Bazar.
According to Mostafa, the looting lasted for around 60 to 90 minutes.
The Pakistan army then left Parerhaat and set up its camp at Rajlakshmi High School, Mostafa said.
The next day, some “15 to 16 Pakistan soldiers and 30 to 35 Razakars went to Badura village”, he said, where Delawar Hossain Sikder pointed out to the soldiers the house of Noor Khan.
Mostafa, who was at the other end of an adjacent canal, saw the collaborators and soldiers torch the house of Noor Khan.
The collaborators and soldiers then moved to the house of Raisuddin Poshari, a local Awami League supporter. They looted the house and torched it, he said.
Their next stop was Shahiduddin Poshari's house, where three residential quarters, a guesthouse and a granary were also plundered before they were torched.
Shahiduddin Poshari is the father of Manik Poshari, who is also a witness in the case.
“I\vo people used to look after the buffaloes in Shahiduddin Poshari's house," Mostafa told the court. “They were Mofiz and Ibrahim Kutti.”
According to Mostafa,
Mofiz and Kutti ran towards the house after they saw fire and smoke coming from Poshari's house.
Mostafa said the collaborators and Pakistani soldiers captured them. They were tied up and taken towards Parerhaat.
While Mofizuddin, also a witness in the case, was taken to the Parerhaat collaborators' camp, Ibrahim Kutti was taken to a place called Thanarghat, Mostafa said.
Kutti was shot near a bridge and his body was kicked into the adjacent canal, he added.
After the witness finished his deposition at 2:35pm, defence counsel Mizanul Islam began cross-examining him.
Earlier yesterday, the tribunal finished the cross-examination of the seventh prosecution witness, Mofizuddin Poshari.