Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami collaborated with the Pakistani army to carry out mass killing in Pabna during the War of Liberation of Bangladesh in 1971, prosecution witness-11 Shamsul Haque Nannu said on Thursday. Pakistani occupation army killed more than 450 people in three villages of the district during the War of Liberation with the help of Nizami, he said.
Nizami is accused of crimes against humanity committed during the War of Liberation in 1971.
“Nizami along with his accomplices guided the Pakistan army to raid the villages and killed the people in a bid to subdue the liberation struggle of Bangladesh,” Nannu said.
Elaborating the brutality, he said, “Pakistan army in collaboration with Nizami, Abdus Sobhan, Asad and some others surrounded the villages of Rupshi, Baushgari and Demra on May 14, 1971. They started firing indiscriminately and killed more than 450 people including Asgar, Ahej, Aken, Abdul and Moksed.”
Nizami had formed an anti-liberation cell comprising Jamaat members and its former student-wing Islami Chhatra Sangha in Pabna, the 60-year-old witness said.
“Nizami and his associates again guided the Pakistan army to go to Pabna through Nagarbari on April 9. We intercepted them on the way but could not stop them as the Pakistani Air Force began bombing on us with fighter planes. Many of us along with 100-150 innocent civilians embraced martyrdom in that war,” he said.
Pakistani army and their collaborators entered into the Pabna town on April 11. They set all roadside houses on fire on their way to Pabna from Nagarbari, he added.
After deposition, defence lawyer Advocate Mizanul Islam cross-examined the witness. The tribunal then adjourned proceedings till June 26.
Meanwhile, the counsels of Abdul Alim, a former BNP leader and minister of slain president Ziaur Rahman’s cabinet, ended the cross-examination of the prosecution witness-26, Jogen Chandra Paul, at the ICT-2.
Jogen, who placed deposition on June 19, said Alim was responsible for the killing of 370 people during the War of Liberation at Joypurhat in 1971.
Advocate Ahsanul Huq Hena questioned the witness during the cross-examination.
Lager, the tribunal adjourned the proceedings till June 26.
-With The Independent input
