Police on Monday arrested three people as after hartal supporters attacked the house of Mahbubul Alam Hawlader, a complainant and prosecution witness against convicted war criminal and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee, in Zianagar of Pirojpur.
Locals said more than 200 pro-hartal activists attacked the house at Tengrakhali with sharp and lethal weapons while they were picketing at Umedpur of Parerhaat Road in Zianagar in the morning.
Mahbub and some other locals alleged that attackers were activists of Jamaat-Shibir. They vandalised the house. He, however, managed to escape the attack.
Mahbub testified at the International Crimes Tribunal 1 against Sayedee, who was involved in crimes against humanity particularly killing of Hindus and looting their property along with handing over women to the Pakistan occupation armies.
The tribunal unanimously held Sayedee guilty in eight of the 20 charges and awarded him death penalty on February 28.
“I was hiding inside a wooden panel on the roof while my wife and two daughters hid under the bed,” Mahbub told journalists.
Dr Abdur Rahim, deputy inspector general of police of Barisal range, visited the spot and assured that a police camp would be opened soon to ensure safety and security of the complainant and witnesses of the case against Sayedee.
Nasiruddin Mallick, officer-in-charge of Zianagar police station, said they arrested three people in this connection.
Picketers of Jamaat-Shibir also blocked the Parerhaat-Sanyasi Road disrupting communication and ransacked the Awami League office at Taagra Ferry Ghat of Zianagar upazila.
Locals also alleged that Awami League activists had damaged five shops owned by the Jamaat-BNP supporters at Kalibari Bazaar of the upazila.
