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Mollah-backed Razakars killed 57 at Keraniganj

Prosecution witness tells war crimes tribunal

Staff Correspondent
A prosecution witness yesterday told the International Crimes Tribunal-2 that Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah led a team of Razakars that killed at least 57 people at Ghatarchar in Keraniganj area on November25,1971.
Mozaffar Ahmed Khan, a freedom fighter and the first prosecution witness in
the war-crimes case against Quader Mollah, gave his statement before the tribunal and appealed for exemplary punishment of the “war criminal".
He narrated the incident of killing 57 unarmed villagers of Ghatarchar, which was orchestrated following a meeting of local Razakars (an auxiliary force of Pakistani occupational force) with QuaderMollah.
The 60-year-old witness said, “On November 23 or 24, 1971, local Dr Joynal, KG Karim Babla, Mokhter
Hossain organised a meeting at Ghatarchar with the connivance of Islami Chhatra Sangha leader
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Abdul Quader Moll ah.
“Abdul Quader Mollah also took part in the meeting which decided to kill the unarmed people and the decision was executed on November 25, 1971," Mozaffar said quotingAbdul Majid, a witness of Ghatarchar massacre who informed him soon after the atrocity.
After recording the statement, the three-member tribunal led by its chairman Justice ATM Fazle Kabir adjourned the case proceedings until July 8 following a time petition of the defence counsels. Mozaffar will face cross-examination on that day.
On May 28, the tribunal framed six specific charges against the assistant secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami for his alleged involvement in murders and mass killings during the Liberation War. Quader Mollah was produced at the court yesterday.
Mozaffar said he was the president of Keraniganj Thana of East Pakistan Chhatra League in 1969 and an SSC examinee during the war.
After having training in India, Mozaffar, who led a group of freedom fighters entered back into Bangladesh in August, 1971, set up a camp at Kalatia in Keraniganj on the outskirts of the capital.
Mozaffar said, in the early morning of November 25, 1971, they heard gunshots and he along with his troops marched towards Ghatarchar, from where the sounds were coming.
“On the way, I happened to bump into my father and my father prevented me from going towards Ghatarcha,” said Mozaffar, adding, "Because they [local collaborators! first attacked our house and set fire to it.”
“My father told me that they [local collaborators! had killed freedom fighters Osman Gani and Golam Mostafa," said the witness, adding, “My father told me that I should not open fire at this moment with the arms I had.”
Mozaffar said the assault went on from early morning to 11:00am and they killed 57 people in Ghatarchar and afterwards they launched an attack on Bhawal Khan Bari and killed 25 people there. They also set fire to homes after looting them, said the witness.
“When I went to the Bhawal Khan Bari, I saw that my house was burning and the bodies of Osman Gani and Golam Mostafa were lying on the ground,” said Mozaffar, adding that Osman Gani was his nephew.
Mozaffar said later on he and his troops went to the Ghatarchar area using an alternative route. “I was horrified; blood and dead bodies all around,” said Mozaffar.
He said local Taiyab Ali and Abdul Majid, acquaintances of Mozaffar, and others were trying to identify Muslim and Hindubodies.
When Mozaffar asked about what had happened, Majid told him about the meeting held with the connivance of Quader Mollah on November 23 or 24,1971, and the decision of the meeting.
Mozaffar also said he had once gone to Mohammadpur in the capital, to his maternal uncle's house, during the Liberation War in disguise and when he was returning, he saw armed Quader Mollah standing in front of Mohammadpur Physical Training Centre along with accomplices.
The training centre had
been used as the torture cell of the Razakars and Al-Badr [two auxiliary forces of the Pakistani army! during the war, said Mozaffar.
Mozaffar said he had taken part in the 1970 election campaigns for the Awami League-blessed candidates of Keraniganj, Mohammadpur and Mirpur. During then he had seen Quader Mollah campaigning for Ghulam Azam, the then ameer of East Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami and a candidate from Mohammadpur and Mirpur area.
Mozaffar said he had been demanding trial of war criminals for many years and worked with Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee to press home his demand.
According to The Daily Star archives, on December 17, 2007, Mozaffar filed a case against Jamaat leaders Motiur Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, Abdul Quader Mollah and six other Jamaat men in connection with the killing of his nephew Osman Gani and fellow freedom fighter Golam Mostafa on November 25,1971.
The case was filed with Dhaka Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, he said at the tribunal yesterday.
Mozaffar was giving his deposition fast and the tribunal was recording it but a few sentences he had said did not have clear meaning when written down. At one point the tribunal suggested excluding those lines.
Mozaffar was upset with this and said, “I am not any paid witness; I have come to the court voluntarily for giving my statement. I have to be allowed to speak...”
At this moment, Chief Prosecutor Ghulam Arieff Tipoo and other prosecutors calmed him down and the