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Siraj massacred Hindus in Bagerhat

Survivor tells war crimes trial; Tribunal-2 to announce on Feb 12 whether 49 eminent personalities to face contempt of court charge for expressing concern over David Bergman's similar conviction

Staff Correspondent
A massacre survivor yesterday narrated how 600 to 700 Hindus, including his father and uncle, fleeing to India for shelter were killed in a barrage of gunfire by war crimes accused Sheikh Sirajul Haque alias Siraj Master along with other Razakars, the Pakistani occupation army's auxiliary force, on May 21 during the 1971 Liberation War.
Meanwhile, International CrimesTribunal-2 fixed February 12 to state whether 49 eminent personalities will be charged with contempt of court for expressing concern over Dhaka-based British journalist David Bergman being convicted over the same charge.
The tribunal ordered those among the 49
present in the country to appear before it on that day.
Premananda Majumder, the 19th prosecution witness, said he and his family found around 4,000 to 5,000 Hindus taking shelter at Dakra Bazar Kali Mandir, where they had stopped on leaving his Boro Katali village of Bagerhat in the morning that day.
At around 2:00pm, they saw around 40 to 50 persons coming on two boats, one of which went towards Dakra High
School and the other west of Dakra Bazar, said the 5 6-year-old.
"A few moments later, they opened fire indiscriminately at the persons taking shelter at the temple," said Premananda. He and his father were the only ones in their boat at that time.
"At one stage accused Siraj Master shot dead my father. While he was trying to shoot me, I dived into the river," the witness said, adding that he stayed in the water till evening.
"After Razakars left, I saw around 600 to 700 bodies lying here and there," hesaid, addingthatamongthose were that of his father Gopal Krisna Majumder and uncle Radha Nath Majumder. Later locals either cremated or cast away the bodies in the river.
After the testimony, state appointed defence counsel cross-examined him before the International Crimes Tribunal-1 adjourned pro-
ceedings until tomorrow. Siraj denies the six charges of crimes against humanity and genocide.
BERGMAN
On December 2 last year, the three-member tribunal sentenced Bergman, editor (special reports) of the daily New Age, to imprisonment "till rising of the court" on that day and fined himTk 5,000.
The conviction came over two of three of Bergman's blog posts where he questioned the Liberation War death toll. One article was on the indictment order of Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee and the other two on the verdict on Abul Kalam Azad, also known as Bachchu Razakar.
Then on December 20, Prothom Alo ran a report on a statement, signed by 50 eminent personalities, which observed that the tribunal's order would restrict freedom of expression. One signatory, Khushi Kabir, later withdrew her name.
The tribunal then sought explanations over the concern. Till yesterday, replies of four persons who are living abroad were yet to reach the tribunal.