Detained BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury on Thursday told the International Crimes Tribunal - 1 that he is a victim of political persecution.
Political persecution is not a novel phenomenon in South Asia. Only the degree of persecution seems to have increased in geometrical progression in subsequent regimes, Salauddin told the court.
Salauddin for the fourth day was testifying for himself as the first defence witness in the war crimes case against him.
All the 23 offences for which he is facing the trial were committed during the Liberation War in 1971 at different places in Chittagong.
Prominent leaders of the Indian independence movement like Mahatma Gandhi, Maulana Mohammad Ali and Maulana Shawkat Ali, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and his father Pandit Motilal Nehru and many others were detained for a long time by the British colony, said Salauddin in his deposition.
But formal communication between the detainees and the governor general of British India was of mutual respect, he went on.
“I cannot recall a single instance during the 23-year of Pakistan rule when any political leader or a public representative was physically tortured or abused while in custody.”
“Even when Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested on 25th March in 1971 by the Pakistan army he never complained of any misbehaviour towards him while in jail.”
He narrated in the court how ‘the petty tyrants in uniform’ misbehaved with him after he was arrested on February 4, 2007 during the rule of caretaker government.
The ICT – 1 on June 13 ordered that the number of defence witnesses be restricted to five after the defence submitted a list of 1,153 names.
Since Monday Salauddin has been continuing his deposition as a defence witness. The prosecution had 41 witnesses.
Salauddin Quader was arrested on December 16, 2010 on charge of his involvement in torching a car on June 26 of the same year at Moghbazar causing the death of one person.
He was shown arrested in connection with the crimes against humanity by the tribunal-1 on December 19.
BNP Standing Committee Member Salauddin Quader Chowdhury is the son of Muslim League leader Fazlul Quader Chowdhury.
He is accused of masterminding the murder of Nutan Chandra Singha in 1971. Nutan was a reputed philanthropist and industrialist in Chittagong.
The prosecution pressed 24 specific charges of crimes against humanity against the accused on November 14, 2011.
On November 17 of the same year, the tribunal took 23 charges into cognisance against Salauddin.