Prosecution witness Mizanur Rahman Talukder yesterday at the International Crimes Tribunal demanded exemplary punishment of Jamaat-e-Islami...
The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka
The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an
independentbranch there since 1975. It close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores...
leader Delwar Hossain Sayeedi.
...Islamic orator and politician. He was a former Member of Parliament in the National Assembly of Bangladesh from 1996 to 2008, and is one of the most prominent leaders of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami...
On Monday, he narrated how Sayeedi and other collaborators brutally tortured his elder brother during the Liberation War in 1971.
Mizanur said the Jamaat leader and other collaborators picked up his brother Abdul Mannan Talukder on his way home from work in Pirojpur either on May 21 or May 22, and "mentally and physically" tortured him the whole night.
The collaborators tried to coerce Mannan into bringing freedom fighter Mizanur to the camp. And he was let go on condition that Mizanur would be brought to the camp, third prosecution witness Mizanur said in his statement.
"As a proud freedom fighter, I demand exemplary punishment of Delwar Hossain, also known as Sayeedi, for physically and mentally torturing my brother and the other misdeeds he committed during the Liberation War," Mizanur said concluding his statement before the court yesterday.
Sayeedi is facing charges of crimes against humanity during 1971 at the International Crimes Tribunal.
The three-member tribunal led by its Chairman Justice Nizamul Huq finished recording the third prosecution witness' deposition yesterday after which Sayeedi's counsels began cross-examining the witness.
His cross-examination will resume today.
"Delwar Hossain, also known as Sayeedi, was directly and indirectly involved in all the misdeeds that took place in the Pirojpur area including arsons, killings, lootings, abuse of women and forceful conversion of Hindus to Islam and handing over women to Mighty Pak Army for rape when the Mighty Pak Army and collaborators set up a camp in Parerhaat [of Pirojpur] after May 7, 1971," he told the tribunal yesterday.
Soon after his deposition ended, defence counsel Mizanul Islam began the cross-examination of Mizanur.
During the cross-examination, Mizanur said the peace committee was functioning underground in Pirojpur before the Mighty Pak Army went there. The committee had started its operations openly with the army's arrival.
He also said he received two to three days' training in Pirojpur stadium to become a freedom fighter.
Counsel Mizanul Islam then told the witness that there was no stadium in Pirojpur during the Liberation War, and the place where the current stadium stands used to be a paddy field.
Mizanur said it was not true.
At one point of the cross-examination, defence counsel Kafil Uddin Chowdhury asked the witness when after the independence of Bangladesh he was registered as a freedom fighter.
"I've been a freedom fighter since I joined the Liberation War," was the response from Mizanur.
Kafil tried to clarify his question by asking when was Mizanur "officially enlisted as a freedom fighter".
He said he was officially enlisted as a freedom fighter in the "first published list".
When the defence counsel asked the date when Mizanur's name was included, Mizanur, seemingly irritated, replied, "I don't remember."
Kafil then told Mizanur that he went to India during the Liberation War and returned after the independence of Bangladesh.
Mizanur said it was not true.