BANGLADESH NEWS
An Al-Badr camp guard yesterday testified to the crimes Jamaat leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman had allegedly committed during the Liberation War.
Monowar Hossain Khan alias Mohan Munshi claimed that Kamaruzzaman shot a person dead at the Al-Badr camp.
Monowar, the second prosecution witness in the war crimes case against Kamaruzzaman, yesterday told the International Crimes Tribunal-2, “My boss Kamaruzzaman was a high flyer. He used to accompany majors [of the Pakistani army]. If he wanted to, he could have turned Sherpur up side down.”
Monowar's job of a guard at the Al-Badr camp in Sherpur gave him the opportunity to witness Al-Badr force organiser Kamaruzzaman's activities during the war.
Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Kamaruzzaman, then president of greater Mymensingh Islami Chhatra Sangha, the then student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, had played a key role in the formation of Al-Badr there. The Al-Badr force had collaborated with the Pakistani military that committed genocide and mass killing during the war, according to historical and tribunal documents.
On June 4, Kamaruzzaman was charged with murder and torture of unarmed civilians and complicity in other crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.
During his two and a quarter hour testimony, Manowar said Kamaruzzaman had gunned down Shushil alias Mahiruddin in the Al-Badr camp in 1971.
He said one day during the war Kamaruzzaman accompanied a group of 20-25 armed Razakars, an auxiliary force of Pakistani occupational force, and captured Shushil from a Hindu-slum between Nurundi and Pearpur. Shushil was kept in the Al-Badr camp of Nayani Bari.
Kamaruzzaman after having talks with Pakistani Major Riaz, converted Shushil to Islam and named him Mahiruddin, said the witness, adding, “He [Shushil] offered prayers with them [the Muslims in the camp].”
Later, Shushil was taken to the Al-Badr camp at Surendar Saha's home and Kamaruzzaman instructed his men to force Shushil swim in the pond of the house compound, said Monowar, adding that Shushil could not swim and was brought to bank.
“Kamaruzzaman came to the camp in the evening and had an altercation with Nasir and Kamran [Al-Badr men]. At one stage of their altercation, Kamaruzzaman shot Shushil dead taking the gun from Nasir,” said Monowar.
The three-member tribunal, led by its Chairman Justice ATM Fazle Kabir with members Justice Obaidul Hassan and Judge Md Shahinur Islam, also recorded the cross-examination of the witness yesterday before adjourned the case proceeding until today.
The 63-year-old witness said he worked with his maternal grandfather at a tailor shop and he had training for a “volunteer” along with 40-50 people before the Liberation War. They were deployed as guards of offices, banks after Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's March-7 speech in 1971.
Monowar, now an employee of a school in Sherpur, said when “East Pakistan army” had gone to Belta School in Jamalpur, Kamaruzzaman, who was leader of a student organisation in Sherpur, had called for a meeting and local Jamiruddin Mowlana, Mamtaj Mowlana, Samiul Doctor took part in the meeting.
“During the meeting, Kamaruzzaman said they should invite the East Pakistan army to come [to Sherpur] from Jamalpur and 50-60 people went to Jamalpur the next morning to discuss the matter [with the Pakistan army officials],” said Monowar.
“After that, people of the area started to leave for India…Suresh Malakar, Surendra Saha and some others were going to India on 10-15 vehicles,” said the witness, adding, “But on the way, Kamaruzzaman along with others stopped them and looted their vehicles and Kamaruzzaman was present there.
“I was also present there,” said Monowar.
Surendra had returned home after the looting. Kamaruzzaman asked Surendra for talks at Surendra's home in the evening.
“I don't know what happened in the meeting but the next morning I did not see the family members of Surendra and a Pakistani flag was hoisted atop the house. Members of Kamaruzzaman's organisation were seen in the house,” said Monowar.
Later, the Pakistan army went to the area and Kamaruzzaman had set up camps for them at Nayani Bari and GK School, said Monowar, adding that the camps were set up in Jamalpur, Mymensingh, Nalitabari, Ahmednagar and other places.
“Major Riaz and Major Ayub Khan set up camps in places where Kamaruzzaman asked them to and the East Pakistan army and Al-Badr men resided there,” said Monowar.
“The camps nearest to my house was set up at Surendra Saha's house and the Nayani Bari camp,” said Monowar, adding, “On the way to the tailor shop, I used to observe what the Pakistan army and Al-Badr men do at the camp.”
One day, Suja, of the camp, asked him why he did not go to the camp and if he did not go, he would face problems, said Monowar, adding, “Suja told me, you have had training, why not you train members of the camp.”
Monowar said he went into hiding after discussions with his family members about Suja's threats but Raja, an Al-Badr man, threatened his father of burning their house down and killing Monowar's three brothers unless Monowar joined Al-Badr.
When Monowar did not return from hiding, Natu, another Al-Badr man, threatened Monowar's mother of burning their house down and asked her to give him Tk 500 and Monowar, said the witness.
“The next morning, my mother gave them Tk 500 selling her earring and a mango tree and Raja and Natu took me to Nayani Bari camp,” said Monowar, adding that Natu and Raja had told his mother that they had gone to the house under Kamaruzzaman's directives.
Monowar said he used to conduct parades at the Nayani Bari camp but after 15-20 days he started calling in sick and he was relieved of the job.
“Kamaruzzaman told me that you [Monowar] would be the guard of the camp of Surendra Saha's house and I served there as a watchman for four-five months, not more than seven months,” said Monowar.
Monowar said two days after he joined the camp, Kamaruzzaman instructed Kamran, an Al-Badr leader, and others to force Syed Abdul Hannan, the then principal of Sherpur College, to walk through the town with lime and ink on his face and his head shaved, something considered very humiliating.
“Principal Hannan was compelled to walk through the town and I had seen the matter from the gate of the Al-Badr camp,” said Monowar, adding that Hannan was released later with Major Riaz's instructions.
On the day of Hannan's release, Al-Badr men brought civil surgeon Askar to the Al-Badr camp but later he was too released with Kamaruzzaman's directive, said Monowar.
Later, awami leaguer Golam Mostafa was brought to the camp blindfolded and tied up.
“He [Golam Mostafa] was kept beside me and he was shouting and requesting for water but he was not given any,” said Monowar, adding that afterwards one Nasir took Mostafa to Sheri Bridge from the camp on a rickshaw still blindfolded.
Nasir also took a China-made gun from the office and Kamaruzzaman had left the camp five minutes earlier.
“After half an hour, Kamaruzzaman and Nasir returned to the camp together and Nasir was telling [to others in the camp] that sir [Kamaruzzaman] can now aim well, he has courage and he can operate a gun now,” said Monowar.
Al-Badr men also caught and released football player Kajal with an instruction to leave Sherpur town when Monowar was working in the camp.
“Kamaruzzaman Saheb instructed Nasir, Mahmud and Kamran to follow him and told them to kill Kajal if he tried to go to Jamalpur crossing the river. Later I heard that Kajal was gunned down and his body could not be recovered,” said Monowar.
On that day, Major Riaz received bullet injuries and was taken away on a helicopter and Kamaruzzaman gave a latter to Kamran, who accompanied the major, to give to his “sir”.
“When Al-Badr man Joynal asked who is this 'sir', Kamaruzzaman answered can't you remember. This is Ghulam Azam who had sent a telegram,” said Monowar.
Former Jamaat chief Ghulam Azam is also facing trail at Tribunal-1 in connection with crimes against humanity.
Monowar said one day during the war he saw Kamaruzzaman holding a meeting at the upper floor of the camp and Kamaruzzaman said freedom fighters had reached Sohagpur village and they had to lay siege to the village.
“Later, they went to lay siege to the village and Al-Badr commander Kamaruzzaman also went there,” said Monowar, adding, “The next morning, we saw that many bodies were brought to the Municipality Park on trucks.”
“Then Kamaruzzaman said we killed them during the operation and Razakars also took part in the operation,” said Monowar.
Monowar said freedom fighter Kashem and two others were captured when they were planning for an operation and Kamaruzzaman shot them making them stand in a line.
Even though Kashem survived as he had jumped into the river, the other two were killed, said Monowar, adding, “I did not see the incident but heard about it from Kashem after the Liberation War.
“I do not want anything but trail,” said the witness.
He said threats had been made against him recently and that he had filed a general diary in this regard.
Afterwards, defence counsel Kafil Uddin Chowdhury cross-examined the witness for two hours and asked around 50 questions.
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