Jamaat-e-Islami leader Moulana AKM Yusuf formed the Razakar force, collaborators of the Pakistan occupation army, first in Khulna during the Liberation War, eminent war crimes researcher Shahriar Kabir told International Crimes Tribunal-2 yesterday.
"We came to know of this during a field-level investigation in the 1980s in connection with the writing of a book titled 'Ekattorer Ghatak Dalalera Ke Kothai'," said Shahriar during his cross-examination at the tribunal for the fifth day.
After the Liberation War, Yusuf surrendered before a court, said Shahriar, who is executive president of Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee. According to "Genocide '71", a book that details the accounts of the wartime killers and collaborators, Moulana Yusuf formed the Razakar force at a rally of 96 Jamaat workers at an Ansar camp on Khan Jahan Ali Road in Khulna in May 1971.
"It was Moulana Yusuf who named this force," says the book, adding that on November 28, 1971, Yusuf spoke to journalists in Karachi where he said, "The Razakars are standing shoulder to shoulder with our brave soldiers in combating Indian aggression."
In order to annihilate "miscreants", Razakars should be provided with more modern weapons, Yusuf suggested.
During his testimony on August 26, Shahriar said Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams, three collaborating forces, committed genocide and other crimes against humanity in 1971 and such crimes were committed at the directives of the Jamaat high command for political purposes.
The three-member tribunal, headed by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir with members Justice Obaidul Hassan and Judge M Shahinur Islam, recorded the cross-examination of Shahriar, the first prosecution witness in the case against Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed.
Defence counsel Mizanul Islam cross-examined Shahriar for two hours and 20 minutes and asked him more than 60 questions before the court adjourned the proceedings until today when Shahriar is set to face further cross-examination.
"Did the Pakistan government form the Razakar force through a gazette notification on August 2, 1971?"
asked Mizanul.
" I know that Jamaat leader Moulana AKM Yusuf formed the Razakar force first in Khulna in May 1971 and later the Pakistan government issued the gazette notification merging it [Razakar Bahinil with Ansars," said the 62-year-old journalist.
Mizanul asked him if any news had been published or if the government had issued any press statement in this regard.
"I don't know about that," replied Shahriar.
As the defence counsel wanted to know when the matter was first run by newspapers, the prosecution witness replied in the negative and said during field-level investigation in the 1980s for purposes of writing "Ekattorer Ghatak Dalalera Ke Kothai", he had come to knowabout it.
Replying to questions, Shahriar said Yusuf was a member of Malek's cabinet during the Liberation War and had surrendered before a court after liberation.
"He [Yusuf] was released under a court directive during Bangabandhu's rule," said Mizanul.
"It might be. But I don't know about that," responded Shahriar.
He further said he was involved with the Communist movement during the 1970s but now he was a humanitarian and had never been involved with any political party since the 1970s.
"Did Bangabandhu believe in a secret political agenda?" asked Mizanul.
"I did not conduct any research about it," Shahriar replied.
Before the 1970 election, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman did not say anything in favour of forming a secular state, commented Mizanul.
"It's true. But he [Mujibur] had spoken about
secularism,” said Shahriar.
During yesterday's cross-examination, Mizanul asked several questions about Moulana Abul-Ala Maududi, founder of the Jamaat-e-Islami.
Shahriar said Faruk Maududi, son of Abul-Ala Maududi, in an interview with him said his father allowed none of his children to be involved with the politics of the Jamaat-e-Islamiorjamiyat.
CASE AGAINST KAMARUZZAMAN The tribunal yesterday recorded the cross-examination of Md Hasanuzzaman, the sixth prosecution witness in the war crimes case against another Jamaat leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman for the second day.
In his testimony on September 3, Hasanuzzaman, elder brother of martyr Badiuzzaman, said Kamaruzzaman and his accomplices abducted his brother, who was tortured at a military camp in Sherpur and was later shot dead on June 30, 1971.
During the over-two-hour-long cross-examination, Hasanuzzaman said he had heard that Kamaruzzaman was the chief of an Al-Badr camp established at the house of Surendra Mohan Saha and used to conduct his activities from that camp during the War.
At 4:30pm when defence counsel Kafiluddin Chowdhury said he would require half an hour more to complete the cross-examination, the tribunal asked him to complete it within 15 minutes today.
On June 4, the tribunal indicted Kamaruzzaman with seven charges in connection with crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War.