A prosecution witness alleged yesterday that the Pakistani Army had killed his brother and sister-in-law in the presence of war crimes accused Maulana Abdus Subhan during the 1971 Liberation War.
Md Abdul Matin, 76, the 13th witness from Kulnia village of Pabna sadar, told the International Crimes Tribunal 2 that the occupation force had entered their village on the morning of May 11 with around eight vehicles, while the accused was in a white car.
They started firing just after entering the village prompting the unarmed civilians to flee. “I along with my brother Shomujuddin Pramanik and sister-in-law Rahatunnessa hid in a bush. My brother died on the spot during the firing. Rahatunnessa, also my cousin, was wounded and his uncle took her to Sadar Hospital where she died after 10 days.”
Matin, then a cloth trader, also said the army on the same day had killed his neighbours Hasina and Wazuddin.
The witness said he had heard from locals that Subhan, his cohorts and the army later went to nearby Dogachhi and killed Haripada and Benu there. They also set fire to the western part of Dogachhi Bazar and killed two other innocent civilians.
Matin said he knew Subhan for a long time as the accused had campaigned for Jamaat-e-Islami during 1970 election.
After his deposition, a junior defence counsel started grilling the accused. The tribunal later adjourned the trial until today keeping the cross-examination incomplete.
Jamaat leader Subhan was indicted on December 31 last year on nine charges of crimes against humanity.
The same tribunal yesterday recorded the cross-examination of two prosecution witnesses, who gave depositions on Sunday, in the case against former Jatiya Party state minister Syed Mohammad Qaisar. The trial was adjourned until today.
Ambia Khatun, 63, daughter of martyr Abdus Shaheed, and Anwara Begum, 70, widow of martyr Askar Ali, submitted their depositions against Qaisar as the 23rd and 24th prosecution witnesses.
