Another prosecution witness yesterday told the International Crimes Tribunal-2 that Jamaat-e-Islami leader AKM Yusuf formed the Razakar, a collaborating force of the Pakistani junta, during the LiberationWar.
Earlier, Shahriar Kabir, an eminent war crimes researcher and the first prosecution witness in the case against Jamaat leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, said Yusuf formed the Razakar force in Khulna during the war.
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According to "Genocide '71", a book that details the accounts of the wartime killers and collaborators, Yusuf in May 1971, formed the Razakar force at a meeting of 96 Jamaal workers in Khulna.
Journalist M a h b u b Kamal, the third prosecution witness in the war crimes case against Mojaheed, yesterday said he neither knew the exact formation date of this anti-liberation force nor their training ground in the city.
During his one-hour cross-examination, Mahbub also said there was no uniform for the Razakars.
Recently, the investigation agency of the international crimes tribunal said it was conducting investigation into the war crimes allegation against Yusuf, incumbent nayeb-e-ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami and hoped to complete its probe by December.
The three-member tribunal led by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir yesterday completed recording the cross-examination of Mahbub by defence counsel Syed Mizanur Rahman.
Replying to a question, the 59-year-old said he did not know whether Razakars were appointed or remunerated through a directorate.
"A captain and an assistant director used to sign on the identity card of the Razakars,” suggested Mizanur.
"It is not true. Even local Shanti committee members {another anti-liberation force] issued identity cards to the Razakars,” replied Mahbub.
In his testimony on October 3, Mahbub said he had found a Razakar's identity card signed by Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, the then top leader of Jamaat-e-Islami student wing Islami Ghhatra Sangha.
Mizanur suggested that the witness gave “false statement” against Mojaheed “for political reason”.
"It is not true,” replied Mahbub.
Later, the tribunal adjourned the case proceeding until October 14 when the fourth prosecution witness is set to testify.
On July 21, the tribunal indicted Mojaheed on seven charges of crimes against humanity, including murder, genocide and hatching a conspiracy to kill intellectu-
als during the war.
Meanwhile, the court also completed recording the cross-examination of Nurul Islam, the third prosecution witness in the war crimes case against BNP leader Abdul Alim.
The tribunal is supposed to record the testimony of the fourth prosecution witness against Mojaheed today.
REPORT AGAINST MUEEN AND ASHRAFUZZAMAN The investigation agency of international crimes tribunal yesterday did not submit the investigation reports against war crimes suspect Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan to the prosecution.
The agency completed probes against them on Tuesday and told reporters that they would submit the reports to the prosecution yesterday.
Abdul Hannan Khan, coordinator of the agency, told The Daily Star yesterday, "We could not submit the reports due to administrative problems but we will submit the report tomorrow {today].”
The agency officials on Tuesday said they found evidence linking the two with torture and killing of at least 18 intellectuals. Nine of them were Dhaka University teachers, six were journalists and three were physicians. SAYEDEE'SCASE Responding to a petition of the defence counsel, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday adjourned the trial proceedings of war crimes accused Delawar Hossain Sayedee though the tribunal on Sunday in an order said it would not do so if the defence failed to produce witnesses.
Sayedee's defence counsel yesterday produced a witness who testified and was cross-examined by the prosecution.
Later, the defence made a submission that they need a week to produce members and staffs of the investigation agency of the tribunal as they were not prepared to produce them.
Defence counsel Abdur Razzaq on Monday sought to make 38 people, including members of the investigation agency and on duly police of the safe home of prosecution witnesses, as defence witnesses.
The intent was to prove the authenticity of a log they
produced regarding 15 prosecution witnesses who, according to them, stayed at the safe house but the prosecution claimed were missing.
The following day, the tribunal passed an order allowing the defence to produce members of the investigation agency and staffs of the safe house on some conditions.
The conditions include: the defence could produce them following 8(1) of the International Grimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, but the number of defence witnesses allowed will still be the tribunal-fixed 20 and the tribunal will not issue any summons to produce them.
Mentioning that the tribunal passed an order on absentee witnesses in July the three-member tribunal Chairman Justice Md Nizamul Huq yesterday observed that the defence was trying to delay the trial proceedings.
“We do not give order today. You could have submitted a petition much earlier. You kept this to delay the proceedings”, said Justice Nizamul I luq, adding that the tribunal would have considered the lime petition if it were made earlier.
Defence counsel Mizanul Islam said they did not have any intention to delay the proceedings.
Justice Nizamul I luq then reminded the defence counsel that the tribunal was always careful about justice. “We could reject your petition {making investigation agency's member as witness] yesterday [Tuesday]. But we did not,” he added.
Making an instant consultation with two other members, Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim and Justice Md Anwarul Haque, the tribunal chairman then adjourned the trial proceedings until Sunday.
Sayedee was produced before the tribunal yesterday.
GHULAM AZAM
Additional Superintendent of Police Moliur Rahman, investigation officer of a war crimes case against Jamaat's former chief Ghulam Azam, yesterday completed giving his testimony at the tribunal.
Later, the defence began cross-examining him.
The proceeding of the case was adjourned until todav.