The defence in the case against war crimes suspect Mir Kashem Ali completed questioning the prosecution’s third witness yesterday, who on Sunday said the accused and his cohorts had tortured pro-liberation people at Daleem Hotel in Chittagong City to collect information about freedom fighters.
In his deposition, Nasir Uddin Chowdhury said the accused had ordered his followers in al-Badr force to abduct, torture and subsequently kill innocent civilians for supporting the Liberation War.
Defence Counsel Mizanul Islam questioned the witness, suggesting that Mir Kashem had no control over al-Badr and razakar forces which had collaborated with the Pakistani occupation forces to commit genocide, murder, rape, arson, looting and religious persecution.
After the end of grilling, the prosecution sought time to place further witness. The International Crimes Tribunal 2 adjourned the proceeding until February 17.
The three-member tribunal led by Justice Obaidul Hassan with members Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Shahinur Islam recorded the cross-examination of the witness.
Nasir, a freedom fighter, said he had been captured by the al-Badr men one night in the month of November 1971 and taken to the Daleem Hotel where many more pro-liberation people were tortured.
He heard that everyone was captured and tortured upon the order of Mir Kashem, the alleged al-Badr commander of Chittagong during the war.
Jamaat-e-Islami Executive Council member Mir Kashem is facing 14 charges of crimes against humanity he had committed in Chittagong in 1971.
