Forty years after his father was gunned down by enemy forces, Prafulla Ranjan Singha said justice had finally been served.
Nutan Chandra Singha’s son expressed satisfaction after the Supreme Court rejected the death penalty review petition of BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, who was found guilty of committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.
Nutan Chandra was killed by the Pakistan Army and its collaborators in 1971.
On April 13, 1971, a group of army men led by Salauddin Quader Chowdhury stormed into Nutan’s house. The soldiers sprayed the 70-year-old with bullets. Salauddin then shot Natun two or three more times to ensure that he was dead.
“We have waited an agonising four decades for this trial. At long last, justice has been delivered,” Prafulla said.
“We are happy. But we want the immediate implementation of the verdict,” said Prafulla, who testified against Salauddin Quader Chowdhury before the war crimes tribunal on June 20, 2012.
Nutan Chandra Singha, social worker, entrepreneur and philanthropist, was born on December 1, 1900. He was a popular figure who fostered education and social work in his locality by establishing a number of educational institutions, a post office and an herbal medicine factory – Sree Kundeshwari Aushadhalaya Limited.
During the Liberation War in 1971, many, including Chittagong University teachers and their families, took refuge at the educational institutes he founded.
Acknowledging Nutan Chandra’s philanthropy, the Bangladesh government issued a stamp bearing his likeness on December 14, 1993.
Satya Ranjan Singha, one of Nutan Chandra’s sons, filed a case against Salauddin, his father Fazlul Quader Chowdhury and several others with Raozan police station in January 1972. However, the case did not proceed.
Sharing his pain before the tribunal, Prafulla had said at the time: “I am such a hapless son that I could not even light the funeral pyre of my father.”
Kazi Nurul Absar, a witness of the case against SQ Chowdhury and a freedom fighter, said he was delighted at the verdict. “We testified before the tribunal about the carnage wrought by SQ Chowdhury and his men in Chittagong during the Liberation War. We demand a speedy execution of the verdict.”
Additional law enforcers were deployed on the premises of the Kundeshwari Complex, residence of Prafulla in Raozan upazila.
The Chittagong unit of Gonojagoron Moncho yesterday brought out a procession and distributed sweets to celebrate the upholding of the death penalty for Jamaat secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury.
People from all walks of life, including cultural activists, freedom fighters and professionals took part in the procession. The youth platform demanded the quick implementation of the verdict.
Sharif Chowhan, Chittagong unit coordinator of Gonojagoron Moncho said the verdict was a triumph of the truth and they wanted to see a speedy implementation of the verdict.
The procession started from the city’s Cheragi Pahar and travelled through Momin Road and Anderkillah.
Additional security forces were deployed in Chittagong city and district after the verdicts were announced.
“Security has been tightened in the city as a precaution. Security has been tightened on church premises in the city to preclude untoward incidents,” Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) Debdas Bhattacharya said.
Lt Col Emarat Hossain, commanding officer of 18 Border Guard Bangladesh, told the Dhaka Tribune that six BGB platoons had been deployed in Chittagong and another four were on standby.