A martyr's son and freedom fighter yesterday testified that the aides of war crimes accused Syed Mohammad Qaisar and the Pakistani army had killed his father and many other people at their village in Madhabpur upazila of Habiganj on April 27, 1971.

Mohammad Ali Pathan, son of martyred Oh id Hossain Pathan of Krishnanagar village, said Qaisar had a force of his own, and the force along with the Pakistani army caused huge destruction and committed atrocities in their locality during the Liberation War.

In his nearly two-hour testimony before International Grimes Tribunal-2, the fourth prosecution witness in Qaisar's case gave a

vivid description about how the freedom fighters organised themselves in Madhabpur and prepared for battles.

Qaisar, a state minister in HM Ershad's regime, is facing 16 charges of genocide and crimes against humanity committed in Habiganj and Brahmanbaria during the nine-month war. The 73-year-old accused, however, pleaded not guilty.

Ali Pathan, president of Madhabpur Ghhatra League in 1971, said that after the historic March 7 speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, they formed Swadhin Bangla Chhatra Sangram Parishad and took preparations for war. On the other hand, Shanti Committee, a body of collaborators, was created in Madhabpur, with Qaisar being a member of it, he said. Ali said on April 24, he was assigned to obtain information about the Pakistani army, who had reached Brahmanaria at that time, and learned that Qaisar was leading the army towards Madhabpur.

On April 27, the Pakistani army marched towards Madhabpur, said the freedom fighter, who worked under S Force, commanded by Maj KM Shafiullah. Following Shafiullah's order, they took shelter at Mantala and Moujpur, apparently safer places, he added.

On April 28, he heard that the Pakistani army, Razakar, and aides of Qaisar had killed his father and many others the previous day, Ali said. After the Pakistani army left the area on April 29, 1971, he went to Madhabpur and found around 50 other houses, including his, in their village and 200 shops of Madhabpur Bazar burnt.

"I saw 14/15 bodies were laid out at a place between Madhabpur Bazar and our Krishnanagar village....! found the body of my father and three others on the north-eastern side of my home," he said. Later, he went to India for training and returned to Bangladesh in November, he said, adding that he had returned home 15/20 days after independence and found trails of destructions in his locality.

From the people who took refuge in India, he learnt that Qaisar's men and the Pakistani army caused the havoc, said Ali, who identified Qaisar during the testimony. A defence lawyer asked Ali only four questions before the tribunal-led by Justice Obaidul Hassan, which adjourned the proceedings till Sunday when Ali will face further cross-examination.