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Mojaheed addressed Al-Badr rallies

Shahriar Kabir tells tribunal

Staff Correspondent
War crimes accused Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed as one of the top Al-Badr leaders addressed several rallies of the outfit during the Liberation War, eminent war crimes researcher Shahriar Kabir told the International Crimes Tribunal-2 yesterday.
Newspapers covered those events with photographs duringthe War in 1971, said Shahriar, executive president
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of Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, as his cross-examination continued at the tribunal for the seventh day.
Daily Azad published a photo on December 11,1971, with the caption that read Al-Badr leader Mojaheedi [Mojaheed] addressing a street rally organised by Ai-Badr threatening the people spreading rumours, he said.
Giving testimony on August 26, Shahriar said the Ai-Badr, Razakar and Al-Shams, three collaborating forces of the Pakistan army, committed genocide and other crimes against humanityin 1971.
The Al-Badr force collaborated with the Pakistani occupation force in killing intellectuals and committing genocide during the none-month-long war, as per prosecution documents.
Shahriar Kabir has meanwhile expressed discontent for the second time over lingering cross-examination by the defence terming it "torture" on him.
Shahriar's reaction came when defence counsel Mizanul Islam yesterday told the tribunal they need one more session to complete the first prosecution witness' cross-examination.
The rest of his cross-examination would be held after Shahriar's foreign tour, the tribunal said.
The three-member tribunal headed by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir with members Justice Obaidul Hassan and Judge M Shahinur Islam recorded the cross-examination in the case against the Jamaat secretary general.
Mizanul Islam cross-examined Shahriar for two and a quarter hours and asked him around 50 questions before the court adjourned proceedings until September 20 when the second prosecution witness is expected to testify.
The defence mostly asked the witness questions over the International Crimes (THbu-nals) Act, 1973, a book titled " Ekattorer Ghatak Dalalera Ke Kothai" edited among others by Shahriar Kabir, and trial under the Collaborators Act, 1972.
In his testimony Shahriar said Mojaheed on November 7, 1971 addressed a public rally organised by Al-Badr marking "Badr Day" and administered an oath to kill the "enemies of Islam and Pakistan as well as the Indian agents".
During yesterday's cross-examination, Mizanul said The Daily Pakistan in its report on November 8 over the programme neither mentioned “Al-Badr" nor "Al-Badr rally."
"The report mentioned Badr Day but not Al-Badr's rally or Al-Badr," Shahriar agreed. "But the report said the rally was organised by Islami Chhatra Sangha [the then student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami] which fully turned into Al-Badr," he added.
"Motiur Rahman Nizami (incumbent Jamaat ameer and another war crimes accused) was the chief of the force, while Ali Ahsan Mojaheed was the second in command, "said the witness.
"Did any newspapers of 1971 and 1972 mention Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed as Al-Badr's leader or member or commander or organiser?" asked Mizanul.
"The name of the high command did not appear in the newspapers in 1971 as Al-Badr was a semi-secret organisation," said Shahriar, adding, Mojaheed as the Al-Badr leader addressed street rallies organised by Al-Badr and news of these programmes was published with photographs in 1971.
The following year, a number of news items were published in different newspapers over formation and high command of Al-Badr, he added.
"Is it true that no news was published between 1971 and 1978 mentioning Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed as the chief or member of Al-Badr?" asked Mizanul.
"It is not true. Daily Azad published a photo on December 11, 1971 with the caption that Al-Badr chief Mojaheedi [Mojaheed] addressing a street rally organised by Al-Badr threatening the people spreading rumours," replied Shahriar, adding, "There is a photo of Mojaheed in it.”
Mizanul said Mojaheed's
name was not mentioned as Al-Badr chief in the main story of the newspaper.
"It was not necessary as it was mentioned in the caption," the witness argued.
As per the common practice of the newspapers, the adjectives used in the captions are generally also used in the main story, Mizanul suggested.
"It is not true. From my 40 years of experience in journalism, I can say there is no such hard and fast rule in this regard," Shahriar responded.
At 1:15pm Justice Obaidul Hassan asked Mizanul how much time he would need to complete the cross-examination.
"It is not possible to complete the cross-examination in this session. I would require minimum one more session," the defence counsel replied.
"The defence has cross-examined me for the maximum time. I have said it seems to me that I am subjected to torture [by lingering the cross-examination)," the witness vented his discontent.
Shahriar gave his testimony in two hours and 40 minutes, while the defence has so far cross-examined him for 14 hours and 45 minutes in seven days.
On September 6, Shahriar expressed his discontent over the lengthy cross-examination by the defence.
On June 21, the tribunal framed seven charges against Mojaheed in connection with murder, genocide and hatching conspiracy to kill intellec-tuals during the War. Mojaheed was produced before the tribunal yesterday.
Meanwhile, the same tribunal completed recording cross-examination of Amir Hossain Mollah, ninth prosecution witness in the war crimes case against another Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah.
The tribunal adjourned the case proceeding until September 17 when the 10th prosecution witness is set to testify.
In his testimony on August 26, Amir Hossain, a wounded freedom fighter, said Quader Mollah along with the Pakistani army opened fire and killed around 400 people of Alubdi near Mirpur in the capital onApril24,1971.