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Kamaruzzaman among them

Brother tells war crimes tribunal how his sibling was abducted, tortured, murdered

Staff Correspondent
A prosecution witness yesterday told International Crimes Tribunal-2 that Jamaat leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman and his accomplices had abducted his brother who was tortured at a military camp in Sherpur and was later shot dead on June 30,1971.
Md Hasanuzzaman, elder brother of martyr Badiuzzaman and SEE PAGE 19 COL 5
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sixth prosecution witness in war crimes case against the Jamaat assistant secretary general, narrated how Al-Badr, an auxiliary force of the Pakistan army, abducted his brother and brutally tortured him at a Pakistani military camp all night long and eventually shot him dead.
The 65-year-old witness said he had filed a case against Kamaruzzaman and 10 others in connection with the killing of his brother after liberation.
On August 6, Abdul Mannan, the fourth prosecution witness in the case, also testified that Kamaruzzaman was involved in the killing of Badiuzzaman during the war.
Earlier on June 4, the tribunal framed seven specific charges against Kamaruzzaman in connection with the murder and torture of unarmed civilians during the war. The first of the charges relates to the killing of Badiuzzaman.
The three-member tribunal headed by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir with members Justice Obaidul Hassan and Judge Md Shahinur Islam adjourned the case proceedings until September 5 when Hasanuzzaman is expected to face cross-examination.
During his 43-minute testimony, Hasanuzzaman, a doctor by profession, said he was a first-year student of Dhaka Dental College in 1971 and used to live at the medical college hostel in Bakshibazar.
The witness said his brother Badiuzzaman worked in Pakistan navy and was posted in Karachi before the war. He came home on a month's leave at the end of February 1971.
"My brother was encouraged by the March 7 speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and was taking preparations for independence," said the witness, adding that after the crackdown on the night of March 25, 1971, the Pakistan army was deployed across the country.
The Pakistan army as well as Al-Badr set up their camps throughout the country. Al-Badr activists killed pro-independence people themselves or handed them over to the Pakistan army, who tortured them to death, said Hasanuzzaman.
"There was a large camp of the Pakistan army at Ahmednagar School, adjacent to my father-in-law's house at Ramnagar. People were tortured and killed there," said the witness, adding, "My brother went to my father-in-law's house to observe the army camp on the evening of June 29 [1971]."
Approximately at 11:00 that night, a group of 10-11 armed men came to his father-in-law’s house and asked the residents for food, terming themselves as free-dom fighters, said Hasanuzzaman. He added his
brother opened the door and his uncle-in-law Makbul Hossain gave them puffed rice.
"Afterwards, another uncle-in-law of mine, Sayadur Rahman, and brother-in-law Jamshed Ali came with a hurricane and in the light Sayadur Rahman realised that they [the group] were not freedom fighters," said the witness. "There was Al-Badr leader Kamaruzzaman [in the groupl," he added.
Sayadur and Jamshed tried to bring Badiuzzaman away from the group, but the latter did not suspect anything, said the witness, adding that later Kamaruzzaman asked his brother to point out the army camp at Ahmednagar School and his brother accompanied them to it.
Hasanuzzaman said when the group left the place, Makbul Hossain found a magazine and followed them to give it back, said the witness, adding, Makbul was also forced to go with them.
As Makbul sensed their motives, he pretended to answer a call of nature and escaped by hiding in a nearby jute field, said Hasanuzzaman.
His brother was taken to the camp and was tortured throughout the night and was shot to death on the Sherpur-Jhenigati highway the next morning, said the witness. Labourers who were forced to work at the camp had seen injury marks on his brother's body and a severed ear, he added.
Besides, farm labourers working beside the highway had also witnessed the murder of his brother, he continued.
"After the Liberation War, I talked with Sayadur Rahman, Makbul Hossain and Jamshed Ali as well as the labourers who had seen my brother's murder," he said, adding, "My uncle-in-law Sayadur Rahman clearly told me that he had identified Kamaruzzaman [ that day]."
"Upon their information, I filed a case against 11 people, including Al-Badr leader Kamaruzzaman [after the war]," said the witness, adding that some days after the filing of the case the family had sought information about the case but later he did not follow it up.
DEFENCE COUNSEL REBUKED
Earlier on the day, the tribunal completed recording the cross-examination of Musharraf Hossain Talukder, fifth prosecution witness in tire war crimes case against Kamaruzzaman, who testified on August29.
In his testimony, Musharraf, brother of martyr Gholam Mostafa, said Kamaruzzaman and his accomplices killed his brother at Serih Bridge in Sherpur on August23,1971.
During the two-and-a-
quarter-hour cross-examination, when defence counsel Kafiluddin Chowdhury frequendy asked about Musharrafs ancestors, the tribunal expressed discontent with him.
"Why are you asking such questions about his distant relatives?" said Justice ATM Fazle Kabir.
"It is quite irrelevant," observed Judge Shahinur Islam.
Prosecutor AKM Saiful Islam said, "You are wasting the valuable time of the court."
"He [witness] has given false information [about his distant relatives]. That’s why I am asking the questions," said Kafiluddin.
"Why are we here if we have to accept what you are saying?" said Shahinur Islam.
When Kafiluddin tried to ask similar questions again, Justice Obaidul Hassan said, "You are insisting [on the matter]. You are obstructing court proceedings."
Justice Hassan said, "Section 11 (4) [International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973] is applicable for everyone. The tribunal may punish anyone [who obstructs or abuses its process]. You are obstructing the court proceedings."
“I will stop [cross-examination] if I cannot ask questions," said Kafiluddin, seeking adjournment of the case proceeding.
"We will not adjourn [the case proceedings]," said Justice Fazle Kabir.
Later, Kafiluddin continued the cross-examination and said the witness had made a "false statement with political purposes".
"It is not true,” replied the witness.
CASE AGAINST ABDUL ALIM AND QUADER MOLLAH
Meanwhile, the same tribunal recorded the testimony of Saidur Rahman, the second prosecution witness in the war crimes case against former BNP lawmaker Abdul Alim.
The tribunal adjourned the case proceedings at 4:30pm until today when Saidur is expected to resume his testimony.
During his 15-minute testimony, the 67-year-old witness mostly talked about his student life and preparations for the Liberation War in his Joypurhatlocallty.
On June 11, the tribunal framed 17 specific charges of war crimes against the former minister in late president Ziaur Rahman's cabinet.
The tribunal also recorded the cross-examination of Amir Hossain Mollah, the ninth prosecution witness in the war crimes case against Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah, who testified on August 26.
Amir Hossain is set to face cross-examination on Septembers again.