The son of war crimes accused Abdul Alim Monday told the war crimes tribunal that since March of 1971, his father had been a member of the all-party council that worked in favour of the Liberation War.
Sazzad Bin Alim, as the third defence witness, also submitted to the International Crimes Tribunal 2 four volumes of documents including reports published in different newspapers and books.
The tribunal, however, rejected a number of documents as irrelevant. Moreover, some of the photocopies were difficult to read.
Sazzad, 48, in his deposition said they used to live in Jaleshwari in Bogra in during the war. They later went to Joypurhat on March 29 or 30 and Alim had joined the Sarbadaliya Sangram Parishad.
Alim, a former minister in Ziaur Rahman’s cabinet, was indicted on 17 charges of crimes against humanity he allegedly committed during the war in Joypurhat.
The prosecution says he was the chairman of district Peace Committee and responsible for genocide, killings and torture.
The witness said in Joypurhat, Alim had sent his full family to neighbouring village Aoushgara sensing that the family members could be attacked any time by the Pakistani occupation army.
“My father hid himself in another place. My mother along with my family later shifted to Dhurail village in Dhamurhat and there my mom felt sick. A few days after, we again shifted to one Musa Maulana’s house. His house was just beside Hanail Madrasa in Bambu union. Musa was an imam of Machher Bazaar mosque. Later, my father came to Musa’s house and met us,” Sazzad said.
He claimed that his father was neither a member of Peace Committee nor was involved with the razakar force during the war.
He also claimed that there was no report published in 1971 that mentioned Alim as a person who had helped the Pakistanis.
He added his father had never participated in any election during 1971.
The Pakistani army had entered in Joypurhat in the early morning of April 25, 1971. “I heard from my father and others that the Pakistani army members killed lots of people including Convention Muslim League leader Hares Mollah, who is also the father of incumbent municipality Mayor Aziz Mollah.”
The tribunal of Justice Mojibur Rahman Miah and Justice Shahinur Islam, however, rejected a certificate issued by the mayor in April this year that Hares Mollah had been killed by the Pakistani army.
The witness said in 1974, the then ruling Awami League had appointed Alim as the director of Joypurhat Sugar Mills.
He was elected Joypurhat municipality chairman in 1975 and 1977. Alim became Member of Parliament from Panchbibi constituency in 1979, 1996 and 2001.
Sazzad also said Alim first became the textile minister and later communications minister during the regime of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman in 1978.