Former Awami League leader Mobarak Hossain had collaborated with the Pakistani occupation force to kill 33 people in a single incident during the Liberation War, said prosecution witness-5 Ali Akbar on Wednesday. Giving deposition at the International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1), Akbar said some people, in cooperation with freedom fighters, had blown up a bridge near his village on August 19, 1971. A few days later, Mobarak, along with his cronies, had asked local people to gather at a house, he added.
When the local residents gathered at a certain place, Mobarak wanted to know who among them had relatives in the “Mukti Bahini”. Later, he and his goons tied up some of the locals, including the witness.
“They took us to an army camp at Gangasagar Dighirpar by boat. They beat us up mercilessly. Then they made a list of people who had relatives in the ‘Mukti Bahini’,” the 65-year-old witness said.
“They asked us for a fund for freedom fighters,” he added.
“Later, Mobarak and his henchmen selected 33 persons out of our group. They forced them to dig a hole, whereupon the goons started firing and killed them. Mobarak and his gang then dump the dead bodies in the hole,” he said.
The witness said that he was only 22 at that time. He also recognised Mobarak at the tribunal.
The prosecution had submitted formal charges against Mobarak on February 25, while the tribunal took cognisance of the allegations on March 12. The tribunal indicted Mobarak on April 23.
-With The Independent input
