The 19th prosecution witness in the case against absconding war crimes accused Zahid Hossain Khokon alias Khokon Razakar yesterday said the accused had killed his mother Chhoto Khatun during the 1971 Liberation War.
Abdul Gafur Molla, 82, of village Purapara of Nagarkanda in Faridpur, told the International Crimes Tribunal 1 that Khokon Razakar along with his accomplices and the Pakistani occupation forces had attacked their village on Jaisthya 16 (the second month of Bangla calendar) in 1971.
He had to bury the body without maintaining any ritual, the old man said in tears.
On completion of his cross-examination, the 20th witness, a woman, testified in camera. Before her deposition, the prosecution pleaded that the witness wanted to testify in camera for security reasons as many of the war crimes witnesses had been facing hassle after giving depositions.
The tribunal accepted the appeal and ordered everyone, except for counsels of both sides, to leave the courtroom. After recording her testimony, the tribunal adjourned the proceeding until January 14.
In his deposition, Gafur said on that day in 1971 he, his children and mother Chhoto Khatun had gone to the canal which was on the west side of their house. But she failed to cross the canal. They had plans to go to the adjacent village to hide from the persecution of the collaborators and the army.
The witness said he had later heard from Guru Das of his village that Khokon shot his mother dead.
On Monday, the prosecution’s 17th and 18th witnesses also told about the same incident where they mention the name of Chhoto Khatun.
During the cross-examination, Gafur said he had filed a complaint with the local police station after the war, but there had been no further development.
As the defence counsel suggested that he had testified to get some advantage from others, Gafur boldly denied the allegation and said: “We never do this type of work. We never did.”
Meanwhile, in the case against war crimes suspect AKM Yusuf, the defence cross examined two more prosecution witnesses which were earlier closed by the tribunal because of the conducting counsel’s repeated absence.
Yesterday the defence questioned 13th and 14th witnesses Shudhangsu Mandal and Babul Kumar Mistri who gave depositions on December 1 and 2.
