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It's worst HR violation

Sultana Kamal testifies against Ghulam Azam at war crimes tribunal

Staff Correspondent
Ghulam Azam was the leading enemy collaborator during the LiberationWar in 1971.
The ex-Jamaat ameer had assisted the Pakistan occupation army by forming auxiliary forces like Shanti Committee, Razakar, Al-Badar, Al-Shams, some of which were secret killing squads. He also had handed over women of different ages to Pakistani camps and bunkers. All this information came up in the two-hour-and-10-minute testimony of Sultana Kamal, an eminent human rights activist and freedom fighter, at International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday.
The court has been trying Ghulam Azam in a case relating to crimes against humanity committed during the nine-month war.
A former caretaker government adviser, Sultana Kamal yesterday delivered part of her deposition as a prosecution witness in the case till lunch break at 1:00pm. She will give the rest of her testimony today.
Sultana is the daughter of respected intellectual and poet late Sufia Kamal, whose house was near the residence of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on Road 32 at Dhanmondi.
From their house, Sultana and other family members witnessed and gathered information about the killing and genocide committed by Pakistan army and the activities of collaborators until June 1971, when she left for Agartala in India to join the war along with her younger sister Saeeda Kamal.
"From our point of view, it was the worst violation of human rights and a demonstration of extreme disrespect to humanity," she told the tribunal while describing the atrocities committed by the Pakistan military and its horrific impact.
“In April, I came to know that some religion-based political parties were aligning themselves with the Pakistani army and playing an active role against liberation. And it was then widely publicised in newspapers,” said Sultana, now executive director of the rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra.
She said the Pakistan Democratic Party, Muslim League and Jamaat-e-Islami too often hit the headlines.
“One name was frequently highlighted --Ghulam Azam -- who often met Tikka Khan (martial law administrator at the time], Pakistani army officers and other leaders. They discussed ways of maintaining the integrity of Pakistan, and issued statements in this regard.”
Ghulam Azam and other leaders of those political parties used to say that Pakistan meant Islam and saving Pakistan was synonymous with saving Islam, she noted.
“According to them, freedom fighters were miscreants and should be annihilated .... And they [those leaders] wanted to shoulder this responsibility.”
They formed the Shanti Committee and spearheaded some organisa-
tional activities. “Through striking at people's religious sentiments or issuing threats, they forced many to join the committee,” said Sultana Kamal.
In May, the Razakar force was formed. “As far as I can recall, under the Jamaat leadership, the force started operation in Khulna,” she also said.
Then she came to know about some secret killing teams. "Al-Badr and Al-Shams were formed with the intention that they would lead covert operations. We came to know that these forces included Jamaat students and youths.
"For all these activities, the name of Ghulam Azam was being highlighted frequently.”
Sultana Kamal also said Pakistan army high-ups and Tikka Khan himself had praised Ghulam Azam, saying, “He does much work to keep the oneness of Pakistan."
Ghulam Azam travelled across Pakistan during the Liberation War and delivered speeches against the freedom fighters, she added.
Sultana Kamal along with her younger sister Saeeda left the country, sensing a probable attack on their Dhaka residence. They provided medical service to wounded freedom fighters at the Bangladesh Field Hospital set up at Bishramganj of Agartala.
She used to update herself on the situation in Bangladesh through different radio channels, including the BBC, Akashbani and Shwadhin Bangla Betar Kendra.
Sultana Kamal said during the war, her mother wrote letters in coded language to her brother Shahed Kamal, who was in the US, about developments in the country. Shahed then forwarded those messages over the phone to Sultana.
Some journalists of the Times of India were also her source.
While at the hospital, she regularly got news from freedom fighters about different operations by collaborators.
"They [collaborators] set fire [to houses], looted and killed many people. The collaborators captured and took women to army camps and bunkers,” she said.
Many women lost their mental balance and committed suicide following sexual torture. Some women were killed in the camps and bunkers.
In response to a prosecu-tor's question, Sultana Kamal said whenever Razakars, Al-Badr and Al-Shams were mentioned, the names of Ghulam Azam,
Motiur Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and Abbas Ali Khan came up.
She added these activities were operated under the leadership of Ghulam Azam. “While Bangabandhu was the symbol of the Liberation War, Ghulam Azam was of the enemy side.”
Sultana Kamal also said people other than Muslims lived in much uncertainty in 1971.
“At that time, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians were running here and there inside the country to save their lives. Some of them left Bangladesh for India. These people were killed only for religious identities."
Ghulam Azam, facing charges on 62 specific charges of crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 war, was present at the tribunal for about one and a half hours.
He then was taken out of court by his lawyer due to "poor health”.