A new prosecution witness in the case against Syed Mohammad Qaisar in his deposition told the war crimes tribunal yesterday about the brutalities of “Qaisar Bahini” perpetrated in Habiganj during the 1971 Liberation War.
Mohammad Ali Tipu, 64, was convener of the district’s unit of All-Party Resistance Council. “On April 12, we came to know that peace committees were formed in Dhaka, and also in Habiganj at the house of Syed Saifuddin, father of the accused.”
The same month, Qaisar formed a group after his name. He described the atrocities that group had committed in Madpur and Katiara on April 27 and 28 when at least 15 unarmed civilians were killed. Local Awami League leaders Dr Salieh Ahmed and Hirendra Roy were killed on April 29 after torture by hanging them from a tree near the house of former chief justice Mahmud Hossain. After his deposition, the tribunal adjourned the session until Sunday for cross-examination.