The investigation officer in the case against fugitive war crimes accused Ashrafuzzaman Khan Monday said the alleged al-Badr leader had fled the country right after its independence.
During the defence’s cross-examination at the International Crimes Tribunal 2, Shahjahan Kabir reconfirmed that the diary, which was published in daily Purbadesh after the war under the title of “Jollader Diary”, containing names of targeted intellectuals had indeed been owned by Ashraf.
He said: “During the investigation, several witnesses, including Ali Sazzad, told me that the diary belonged to the fugitive war crimes suspect.” Ashraf’s elder brother used to live at the house owned by Ali Sazzad’s father.
The accused had stayed at the house regularly after June 1971, the IO said.
He was first cross examined by state-appointed defence lawyer Abdus Shukur Khan and later by state defence counsel Salma Hye Tuni for other accused Chowdhury Mueen Uddin.
The IO is the 24th prosecution witness in the case against Ashraf and Mueen, who were jointly indicted on 16 charges of crimes against humanity, which include killings of 18 intellectuals.
In responding to questions, Shahjahan also said he had taken deposition of Mahmuda Begum, a cousin of Ashraf, and her husband Tayeb Ali Khan. He recorded the testimonies when he had gone to Ashraf’s native village Bejrabhatra of Morshedpur union in Gopalganj on June 28 last year.
Shahjahan said he had investigated the abduction of nine Dhaka University teachers, seven of who used to live on the campus and two outside. He also inquired about the abduction of one doctor who used to live on the campus.
The tribunal set today to continue the cross-examination.