A freedom fighter has said the Pakistani army tortured him in 1971 following the direction of Motiur Rahman Nizami.
Md Abdus Salim Latif, a freedom fighter from Pabna, on Sunday placed deposition against Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Nizami in the war crimes cases before the International Crimes Tribunal.
After tribunal 1, led by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, recorded Latif’s deposition, Nizami’s lawyers cross examined him. The tribunal then adjourned the court till Monday.
In his deposition, Latif said: “In 1970, I was a first year student of the Bera College. After March 7, 1971, we started training with retired army, EPR and police personnel to take part in the Liberation War.
“On August 15, 1971, we went to Bera to free the area. Some al-Badr members captured me and my cousin Alauddin. They followed Nizami’s orders. They took us to the Nagarbari Army camp. There I saw Nizami talking to an army person.
Salim said they tortured him because he was not ready to provide any information.
He continued: “They burned my skin with cigarettes. Two soldiers and two al-Badr men came and took me to the deck. They threw me into the river. My hands and legs were tied with electric cables. Somehow I managed to escape.”
Nizami was indicted on May 28 last year on 16 counts of crimes against humanity.
The charges include genocide, rape, torture, abduction, confinement and conspiracy.
