A prosecution witness Sunday told the war crimes tribunal that after December 16, 1971, the fugitive accused Md Ashrafuzzaman Khan had hidden himself in his village home at Chhota Vatara of Moksedpur in Faridpur.
Freedom fighter Firoz Khan, the 17th prosecution witness in the case, also stated that in late December, the local freedom fighters had tried to nab Ashrafuzzaman as they came to know that he was involved in the killing of intellectuals in Dhaka.
“But their efforts were in vain,” Firoz who hails from neighbouring village Batikmari of Moksedpur told the International Crimes Tribunal 2 of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Shahinur Islam.
Sixty-year old Firoz also said Lutfar Rahman, a cousin of the accused, had told him about news in the daily Purbadesh on Ashrafuzzaman, which labelled him “a killer of intellectuals.”
Firoz, who was a Class 10 student during the Liberation War, said Lutfar also told him that Ashrafuzzaman had fled to the USA via India and Pakistan, and would never come back to the country. Ashrafuzzaman was an active member of Islami Chhatra Sangha, the then student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, at Dhaka University, he said.
The witness said even in 1972, a police officer had gone to Ashrafuzzaman’s village home and enquired about his whereabouts. The officer had told Firoz that two murder cases had been lodged against the fugitive with Ramna and Mirpur police stations.
Later, defence counsel Md Abdus Shukkur Khan cross-examined the witness. The tribunal set Tuesday for further procedure of the case that also involves Chowdhury Mueen Uddin. Mueen and Ashrafuzzaman were indicted on July 15 jointly on 11 counts of crimes against humanity.