A new prosecution witness in the trial of Syed Mohammad Qaisar yesterday claimed that the Pakistani troops had shot and killed his father and six others following the instruction of the accused in Habiganj during the 1971 Liberation War.
Nowshad Ali, 54, son of martyr Majot Ali, gave his deposition at the International Crimes Tribunal 2 as the 11th prosecution witness in the case against the leader of “Qaisar Bahini.”
His brother Mostafa Ali, the ninth witness, described the same incident that took place at a food storehouse in Shayestaganj of Habiganj on April 29, 1971. Their father was a security guard at the place.
Nowshad said he had heard about Qaisar from his brother. The duo had witnesses the incident. At the time of incident Nowshad was 11 years old.
The witness, now a security guard at the same storehouse, said he could not continue his studies after his father’s killing.
He witnessed how Qaisar and his men had confined his father and others and asked them not to leave the place without his concern. Some members of the Pakistani occupation forces were guarding them.
“The next day the accused came again and led my father and others to the bank of River Khowai. They were made to stand in a line and the Pakistani troops shot and killed them following the signal from Qaisar,” Nowshad said.
He continued: “My brother Mostafa Ali and I were witnessing the whole incident from a nearby sugarcane field.”
After his deposition, defence counsel SM Shahjahan cross examined the witness and the International Crimes Tribunal 2 adjourned the hearing of the case until May 11.
Qaisar, a former state minister during HM Ershad's tenure, faces 16 charges of crimes against humanity.