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Ex-Al Badr man testifies

Tells tribunal Kamaruzzaman committed killings, atrocities during Liberation War

Staff Correspondent
An Al-Badr camp guard yesterday testified to the crimes Jamaat leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman allegedly committed during the Liberation War.
Monowar Hossain Khan alias Mohan
Munshi claimed that Kamaruzzaman had shot a person dead at the Al-Badr camp.
Monowar, the second prosecution witness
in the war crimes case against Kamaruzzaman, yesterday told the International Crimes Tribunal-2, “My boss Kamaruzzaman was a high flyer. He used to accompany majors [of the Pakistani army]. If he wanted to, he could have turned Sherpur upside down.”
Monowar's job as a guard at the Al-Badr camp in
Sherpur gave him the opportunity to witness alleged Al-Badr force organiser Kamaruzzaman's activities during the war.
Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Kamaruzzaman, then president of greater Mymensingh Islami Chhatra Sangha, the then student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami, played a key role in the formation of Al-Badr there. The Al-Badr force collaborated with the Pakistani military, which committed genocide and mass killings during the war, according to historical and tribunal documents.
On June 4, Kamaruzzaman was charged with the murder and torture of unarmed civilians and complicity in other crimes against humanity during the Liberation War. FROM PAGE 1
During his two and a quarter hour testimony, Manowar said Kamaruzzaman had gunned down Shushil alias Mahiruddin in the Al-Badr campin 1971.
Ue said one day during the war, Kamaruzzaman accompanied a group of 20-25 armed Razakars, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani occupation forces, and abducted Shushil from a H i n d u - s 1 u m b e t w e e n Nurundi and Pearpur. Shushil was kept in the Al-Badr camp ofNayani Bari.
Kamaruzzaman, after talks with Pakistani Major Riaz, converted Shushil to Islam and named him Mahiruddin, said the witness, adding, “Ue [Shushil] offered prayers with them [the Muslims in the camp].”
Later, Shushil was taken to the Al-Badr camp at Surendra Saha's home and Kamaruzzaman instructed his men to force Shushil to swim in the pond of the house compound, said Monowar. Ue added that Shushil could not swim and was brought to the bank.
“Kamaruzzaman came to the camp in the evening and had an altercation with Nasir and Kamran [Al-Badr men]. At one stage of their altercation, Kamaruzzaman shot Shushil dead after taking the gun from Nasir,” said Monowar.
The three-member tribunal, led by its Chairman, Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, with members Justice Obaidul Hassan and Judge Md S h a h i n u r Islam, also recorded the cross-examination of the witness yesterday before adjourning the case proceedings until today.
The 63-year-old witness said he had worked with his maternal grandfather at a tailor shop and he had training to be a “volunteer” along with 40-50 people before the Liberation War. They were deployed as guards at offices and banks after Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's March 7 speech in 1971.
Monowar, now an employee of a school in Sherpur, said when “East Pakistan army" had gone to Belta School in Jamalpur, Kamaruzzaman, who was the leader of a student organisation in Sherpur, called a meeting in which local individuals Jamiruddin Mowlana, Mamtaj Mowlana and Samiul Doctor took part.
“During the meeting, Kamaruzzaman said they should invite the East Pakistan army to come [to Sherpur] from Jamalpur and 50-60 people went to Jamalpur the next morning to discuss the matter [with the Pakistan army officials],” said Monowar.
"After that, people of the area started to leave for India...Suresh Malakar, Surendra Saha and some others were going to India on 10-15 vehicles,” said the witness, adding, "But on the way, Kamaruzzaman along with others stopped them and looted their vehicles. Kamaruzzaman was present there.
"I was also present there,” said Monowar.
Surendra had returned home after the looting. Kamaruzzaman asked Surendra for talks at Surendra's home in the evening.
"I don't know what happened at the meeting but the next morning I did not see the family members of Surendra and a Pakistani Rag was hoisted atop the house. Members of Kamaruzzaman's organisation were seen in the house,” said Monowar.
Later, the Pakistan army went to the area. Kamaruzzaman had set up camps for them at Nayani Bari and GK School, said Monowar, adding that the camps were set up in Jamalpur, Mymensingh, Nalitabari, Ahmednagar and other places.
"Major Riaz and Major Ayub Khan set up camps in places where Kamaruzzaman asked them to and the East Pakistan army and Al-Badr men resided there," said Monowar.
"The camps nearest to my house were set up at Surendra Saha's house and the Nayani Bari camp,” said Monowar, adding, "On the
way to the tailor shop, I used to observe what the Pakistan army and Al-Badr men did at the camp.”
One day, Suja, of the camp, asked him why he did not go to the camp and if he did not go, he would face problems, said Monowar, adding, "Suja told me, you have had training. Why don' t you train the members of the camp?”
Monowar said he went into hiding after discussions with his family members about Suja’s threats, but Raja, an Al-Badr man, threatened his father that he would burn their house down and kill Monowar's three brothers unless Monowar joined Al-Badr.
When Monowar did not return from hiding, Natu, another Al-Badr man, threatened Monowar's mother in similar fashion. Ue asked her to give him Tk 500 and Monowar, said the witness.
"The next morning, my mother gave them Tk 500 by selling her earring and a mango tree and Raja and Natu took me to Nayani Bari camp,” said Monowar, adding that Natu and Raja had told his mother that they had gone to the house under Kamaruzzaman's directives.
Monowar said he used to conduct parades at the Nayani Bari camp but after 15-20 days he started calling in sick and he was relieved of the job.
"Kamaruzzaman told me that I would be the guard of the camp of Surendra Saha's house. I served there as a watchman for four or five months, not more than seven months,” said Monowar.
Monowar said two days after he joined the camp, Kamaruzzaman instructed Kamran, an Al-Badr leader, and others to force Syed Abdul Hannan, the then principal of Sherpur College, to walk through the town with lime and ink on his face and his head shaved, some-thing considered very humiliating.
"Principal Hannan was compelled to walk through the town and I observed the scene from the gate of the Al-Badr camp,” said Monowar, adding that Hannan was released later under Major Riaz's instructions.
On the day of Hannan’s release, Al-Badr men brought civil surgeon Askar to the Al-Badr camp but subsequently he too was released on Kamaruzzaman's directive, said Monowar.
Later, Awami Leaguer Golam Mostafa was brought to the camp, blindfolded and tied up.
“He [Golam Mostafa] was kept beside me and he was screaming and asking for water but was not given any,” said Monowar. He added that afterwards one Nasir took Mostafa, still blindfolded, to Sheri Bridge from the camp on a rickshaw.
Nasir also took a Chinese-made gun from the office. Kamaruzzaman had left the camp five minutes earlier.
“After half an hour, Kamaruzzaman and Nasir returned to the camp together and Nasir was telling [others in the camp] that sir [Kamaruzzamanl could now aim well, that he had courage and he could operate a gun," said Mo no war.
Al-Badr men also caught and released football player Kajal with an instruction that he leave Sherpur town.
“Kamaruzzaman Saheb instructed Nasir, Mahmud and Kamran to follow him and told them to kill Kajal if he tried to go to Jamalpur by crossing the river. Later I heard that Kajal had been gunned down and his body could not be recovered,” said Monowar.
On that day, Major Riaz received bullet injuries and was taken away by helicopter and Kamaruzzaman gave a letter to Kamran, who accompanied the major, to give to his "sir”.
“When Al-Badr man Joynal asked who is this 'sir', Kamaruzzaman answered can't you remember. This is Ghulam Azam who had sent a telegram,” said Monowar.
Former Jamaat chief Ghulam Azam is also facing trial at Tribunal-1 in connection with crimes against humanity.
Monowar said one day
during the war he saw Kamaruzzaman holding a meeting at the upper floor of the camp and Kamaruzzaman said freedom fighters had reached Sohagpur village and they had to lay siege to the village.
"Later, they went to lay siege to the village and Al-Badr commander Kamaruzzaman also went there,” said Monowar, adding, “The next morning, we saw that many bodies were brought to the Municipality Park on trucks.”
“Then Kamaruzzaman said they had killed them during the operation and Razakars had also taken part in the operation,” said Monowar.
Monowar said freedom fighter Kashem and two others were captured when they were planning an operation. Kamaruzzaman shot them after making them stand in a line.
Even though Kashem survived as he had jumped into the river, the other two were killed, said Monowar, adding, “I did not see the incident but heard about it from Kashem after the Liberation War.
“I do not want anything but a trial,” said the witness.
He said threats had been made against him recently and that he had filed a general diary in this regard.
Afterwards, defence counsel Kafil Uddin Chowdhury cross-examined the witness for two hours and asked around 50 questions.