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Graphics Arts Institute was a torture cell

War crimes witness tells tribunal

Staff Correspondent
At the end of the Liberation War, freedom fighters had targeted the Graphics Arts Institute in Dhaka as it was a torture centre of the Pakistani invaders and their auxiliary forces, a prosecution witness told the International Crimes Tribunal-2.
Syed Shahidul Haque Mama, a freedom fighter and the second prosecution witness in the war crimes case against Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah, said this before the tribunal during his cross-examination yesterday.
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During his testimony on July 10, Shahidul said Mirpur area became enemy-free on January 31, 1972 even though the Pakistani army formally surrendered on December 16,1971.
"On December 16, 1971, our target was the Graphics Arts Institute [at Mohammadpur in the capital] where intellectuals were taken and tortured and their bodies were thrown to Raver Bazar killing field," said Shahidul, also chief of Mama Group Guerrilla Bahini.
Replying to a question, Shahidul said they attacked the Arts Institute around 5:00pm on December 16, 1971 and at one stage of the around one-hour-long battle, the Pakistani army retreated. One group of retreating army went to Mo ham mad pur, while another group went towards Mirpur, he added.
Shahidul, who was also a platoon commander, said when they entered the institute, they did not find any Pakistani army but found clots of blood in several rooms.
"After capturing the institute we heard mourning of people who had lost their near and dear ones. Al Badr [an auxiliary force of Pakistani invaders] look
someone's father or brother and killed them there [Graphics Arts Institute]," said Shahidul.
In the indictment order on May 28, the tribunal said Quader Mollah as the president of Islarni Chhatra Sangha (the then student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami) of Dhaka University's Shahidullah Hall organised formation of Al-Badr with members of the student body.
Ekramul Huqe, defence counsel of Quader Mollah, asked the witness yesterday's last question, "How many times did you go to Mirpur in between December 16, 1971 and January 31,1972?"
The witness became little emotional and said: "I had gone many limes [io Mirpur]. When they [Pakistani army and their collaborators] said that Bangladesh would turn into a part of Pakistan once again, we were not seating idle burning the candles."
In his testimony, Shahidul said in the face of a strong attack on December 16,1971, the Pakistani army retreated and merged with Biharis ( non - Banga 1 ees ) in Mohammadpur and Mirpur areas and convinced them that Bangladesh would be annexed io Pakistan.
"We were sharpening our weapons and waiting to get
Quader Mollah and his cohorts and the Pakistani occupation army," said the freedom fighter, adding, "Don't make me excited. When I remember the horrifying memories of the war, I wish I could strangle them!"
During the three-hourlong cross-examination, Ekramul Huqe asked around 80 questions to the witness before the three-member tribunal headed by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir adjourned the case proceeding until today fol owing a time plea of the defence.
Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Quader Mollah has been indicted on six charges of crimes against humanity, including murder and mass killing.
SQ CHY’S TRIAL
During cross-examination yesterday, the sixth prosecution witness against BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury told the International Crimes Tribunal-1 that the Pakistani army did not loot or torch his house.
Witness Nirmal Chandra Sharma said his house was looted a few days after the brutal killing of his family members.
"Our house was looted after the incident but I don't know whether locals did it,”
Nirmal said in response to a question from defence counsel A h s a n u 1 Huq Heena.
The witness on Monday in his deposition had said he witnessed his family members brutally killed in a raid of the Pakistan army, accom-panied by Salahuddin Quader, at the Modhya Gohira village in Chittagong on April 13, 1971.
Nirmal lost his mother, brother, two uncles and nephew in the raid while his father Joyonto Kumar Sharma, whose left hand and leg were riddled by bullets, died after suffering for 5-6 years. Nirmal had narrowly escaped bullets when the Pakistani army lined up his family and opened fire on them.
During cross-examination Heena suggested that it was not true that his mother, his uncles, nephew and brother were killed or even his father was injured.
Nirmal said it was not true.
The defence further suggested that Nirmal gave the deposition before the court to get benefits from the government, which the witness denied.
The tribunal yesterday appreciated Heena for wrapping up the cross-examination of the witness 30 minutes ahead of schedule. The tribunal on Tuesday had fixed one and half hours of yesterday for the defence to finish cross-examination.
The three-member tribunal led by Justice Md Nizamul Huq yesterday fixed July 16 for producing the next prosecution witness. The proceeding of the case would be adjourned until then.
Salahuddin Quader was facing 23 specific charges of crimes against humanity he allegedly committed during the Liberation War.