War Crimes
Killing of witness Mostafa rings alarm bells
The death of 58-year old prosecution witness Mostafa Haoladar on Tuesday following stabbing prompted the International Crimes Tribunals to express concern over the security of those testifying in war crimes cases. Mostafa was among 28 prosecution witnesses on whose testimony Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee was handed death sentence for his complicity in 1971 crimes against humanity.
Both the ICTs expressed concern over the utter insecurity to which the witnesses, the members of their families and their properties were exposed.
Mostafa, the eighth prosecution witness in Sayedee’s case, died at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s intensive care unit where he was under treatment following stabbing by unidentified assailants.
Mostafa was asleep Monday night in his bed room at his house at Parerhat in Zianagar upazila in Pirojpur when he was stabbed in his eyes and forehead.
The attackers also stabbed his wife Hasina Begum, now receiving treatment at Khulna Medical College Hospital.
Hasina blamed Jamaat men and Sayedee’s followers for the incident.
Eight war crimes offenders have been sentenced to death until now.
The house of the first witness in the case Mahbubul Alam Hawladar, in the neighbouring village of Tengrakhali was
Vandalized 41 days back allegedly by supporters of Jamaat and Islami Chhattra Shibir.
Freedom fighter Mahbub said that the attackers looking for him vandalized his house as he was not at home.
He said he was living in extreme fear ever since.
Despite serious hardship, he said, he cannot go out to earn his living.
The ICT-1 in which Mostafa testified against Sayedee expressed concern over security of the witnesses.
During Tuesday’s hearing, the ICT-1 presiding judge, Justice ATM Fazle Kabir told the prosecutors that he saw in TV scrolls that the witness had died.
‘It is unacceptable that a man would die in an independent country for giving testimony,’ he said and wanted to know from the prosecutors what steps were taken by the government to ensure security of the witnesses.
Prosecutor Mokhlesur Rahman Badal informed the tribunal that the prosecution had already informed the home ministry and the law enforcing agencies about it.
He said that the prosecution team held a meeting on the issue.
The tribunal asked the prosecution to bring pressure on the government saying that they would not produce witnesses unless they were provided with proper security.
Badal then sought a suo-moto order in this regard.
The tribunal asked him to submit an application on the matter.
Amir Hossain Molla, a witness in Abdul Quader Molla’s war crimes case, said that several threats he received compelled him to be ‘very careful’ in his movements.
‘I feel extremely insecure, receiving threat after threat from unidentified people who killed my pet dog. I can’t describe my fears about my life and property,’ said Md Monowar Hossain Khan, better known as Mohon Munshi, a prosecution witness from Sherpur whose testimony led to death sentence of Jamaat leader Mohammad Kamaruzzaman.
He was in tears as he recounted to New Age his experience.
Ranjit Nath, a native of Goalchamot, in Faridpur who testified against death row convict Jamaat leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed said he has been passing his days in fear.
He said that he stayed home on Tuesday.
‘Why we have to experience this for seeking justice in the tribunal,’ he said.
Several prosecution witnesses, preferring anonymity, said they were passing their days in insecurity.
Prosecutor Zead-Al Malum told New Age that the Jamaat and Islami Chattra Shibir men were intimidating the prosecution witnesses since the war crimes investigation began.
He asked the government to provide security to the witnesses, victims’ families, judges, investigators and prosecutors.
-With New Age input
