A war crimes witness in the case against Syed Mohammad Qaisar yesterday said “Qaisar Bahini” had abducted his father who was a freedom fighter in Habiganj during the 1971 Liberation War. He never returned.
Shah Hasan Ali alias Fulu Miah, the seventh prosecution witness, told the International Crimes Tribunal 2 that the anti-liberation group had also captured his brother and tortured him for at least 20 days. He lost his left leg but survived only to tell his agonies.
“On June 13, 1971, Soleman Razakar and Abul Thikader who worked as Qaisar’s accomplices picked up my father from our home. During that time they mentioned the name of Syed Qaisar as their leader.
“They took my father to Habiganj Sadar police station. Later Qaisar and his men handed my father over to the Pakistani troops,” the witness said adding that all these happened because his father Shah Hossain Ali had been a freedom fighter and Qaisar wanted him to surrender his weapon.
“We tried to find him alive but did not even get his body while searching various killing fields. My family went through a misery because of his absence.”
Fulu said when they had gone to WAPDA colony, “an elderly woman told us to go to a nearby fountain where she saw some bodies. But we did not find his body. I found there two blood-stained machetes. I placed those before the investigation officer when he recorded my statement.” He wished to give those to any museum.
After his deposition, defence counsel SM Shahjahan cross examined him and the tribunal adjourned the proceedings keeping it incomplete.
