A new witness in the trial against alleged collaborator Syed Mohammad Qaisar said yesterday that the accused had directed the Pakistani Army personnel to violate indigenous woman Hiramoni Santal during the 1971 Liberation War in Chandpur Chhagolbazar Tea State in Habiganj.
Md Abdul Motaleb, 77, the 20th prosecution witness, told the International Crimes Tribunal 2 that he had heard about the incident from the person who had rescued the Birangona.
The witness also said he had heard Hiramoni’s voice seeking help during the torture perpetrated by two army men. He was hiding in her house for shelter. On June 1, a nephew of survivor Hiramoni, who is now 80 years old, testified in the case as the 18th prosecution witness.
Former Jatiya Party state minister Qaisar is facing 16 charges of crimes against humanity that he had allegedly committed in Habiganj and Brahmanbaria areas in 1971.
Motaleb, then an informer for the freedom fighters, said yesterday that he had been caught by the Pakistani occupation forces, accompanied by Qaisar and two other Bangali men, on May 11 or 12 of 1971 at Dolna Tea Estate near Darga Beel outpost. The Pakistani forces were in five vans.
“When Sher Bahadur saw me, Qaisar identified me as a freedom fighter. Then both of them questioned me about the other freedom fighters. When I continued to deny, Sher Bahadur certified me as a ‘good man’ and recommended my release.”
But the accused did not agree. The witness said he had later been taken to Chandpur.
“When they reached Chhagolbazar Tea State, Major Yusuf told me to leave the place and I went to Hiramoni Santal’s house for shelter.”
He said: “I never met her before. When I reached her house, I heard Hiramoni’s voice shouting ‘they are violating me, I want to die.’ When an old man [father of the victim] came to rescue Hiramoni, Qaisar and two unknown Bangali men beat him severely.”
The occupation forces and the collaborators had left place after 40 minutes. “A person who rescued Hiramoni told me that Qaisar had directed two Pakistan Army personnel to violate Hiramoni,” he said.
After his deposition, defence counsel Abdus Sobhan Tarafder started cross examining him. The tribunal 2 adjourned the trial until today, leaving it incomplete.
Meanwhile, defence counsel Mizanul Islam continued the cross-examination of the prosecution’s 11th witness yesterday in the war crimes case against Jamaat-e-Islami leader Maulana Abdus Subhan. Later the tribunal 2 adjourned the hearing until today.
