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War Crimes Trial

Witness testifies on Qaisar-led atrocities

Staff Correspondent
A prosecution witness yesterday testified that he had seen Syed Mohammad Qaisar led atrocities that left at least 19 people killed and several hundred houses torched in Madhabpur Bazar and adjacent villages of Habiganj in April 1971.
The witness, Nayeb Ali, who was an informer of freedom fighters in Madhabpur, said the Pakistan army shot dead four people on Qaisar's instruction in Krishnanagar village in Madhabpur on April 27,1971.
"I had witnessed the scene hiding inside Daptari Bari, 200/250 yards away from the killing spot," the 14th prosecution witness in the case told the International Crimes Tribunal-2.
The three-member tribunal led by Justice Obaidul Hassan adjourned the case proceeding until today.
During Nayeb's testimony, Qaisar, a state minister of HM Ershad's regime, sat on a wheelchair bowing his head down with eyes closed like the other days.
He faces 16 charges, including genocide committed in Habiganj and Brahmanbaria during the Liberation War. The 73-year-old accused, however, pleaded not guilty.
On April 27, Qaisar, his force Qaisar Bahini and Pakistan army marched towards Madhabpur from Brahmanbaria but faced freedom fighters' resistance at Islampur, prompting a gun battle, said Nayeb Ali. The army killed one Shahjahan Chairman there.
Around 5:30pm, the forces attacked western part of Madhabpur Bazar and adjacent Katiara village and burnt down 100/150 shops and houses.
Nayeb Ali, 60, went on, "Around
7:30pm, I witnessed Qaisar and his force attack Krishnanagar village on northern side of Madhabpur Bazar and torched 40/50 houses there."
They also attacked the house of freedom fighter Mohammad Ali Pathan. His father Ohid Hossain Pathan and three others, who had taken shelter at the house, fled and went near a dry river but the attackers followed them. The four were shot to death as instructed by Qaisar.
The following morning, the forces looted and torched 150/200 houses and shops on the northern-east part of Madhabpur Bazar, said Nayeb Ali.
"I had also witnessed that Qaisar, his force and Pakistani army torched our house too."
After they left around 8:00am on April 29, Nayeb visited Madhabpur Bazar. "I saw 15 bodies lying beside a road."