Netrakona AL chief faces war crimes allegations

A freedom fighter has raised allegations of war-time crimes against six Netrakona men, including district Awami League President Motior Rahman Khan.

Md Shamsuzzuha, also a former president of the AL unit, submitted a petition to the International Crimes Tribunal's investigation agency on Monday, pleading justice for the victims.

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The allegations include looting, abduction, torture and killing of at least two people, including an informant of freedom fighters.

The others accused in the petition are Syed Sona Mia, Bhola Mia, Shahidullah Pintu, Abdur Rahim Farazi and Munshi Abdul Jalil.

Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, Shamsuzzuha said he submitted the petition as a victim. He alleged that “Motior and his men” had looted valuables from his house in 1971.

Rejecting outright the complaints, Motior, also the administrator of Netrakona district council, said the allegations were motivated by political rivalry and intended to demean him.

Abdul Hannan Khan, coordinator of the investigation agency, said they received an application against Motiur a few days ago, but they were yet to go through it.

The agency has been receiving such allegations from across the country, Hannan said, adding that they would start due process about the allegation in due time.

Shamsuzzuha said Motior, who was the general secretary of Netrakona College Student Union in 1969, along with several others, had surrendered to the Pakistan army during the Liberation War.

He also took part in meetings of Netrakona Peace Committee, an anti-liberation platform, the complainant said.

According to a book titled “Muktisangrame Netrakona” (Netrakona during the Liberation War) authored by freedom fighter Golam Ershadur Rahman, Motior, among others, had surrendered to the Pakistan army. A copy of a portion of the book was attached to the petition, said Shamsuzzuha.

The petitioner also submitted a document claiming it to be the minutes of a Netrakona Peace Committee meeting. It shows that Motior attended the meeting, among others.

Shamsuzzuha in his petition said his house was attacked twice in 1971 and the second attack was led by Motior.

The six were accused of abduction, torture and killing of Muktul Hossain, an informant of freedom fighters, and Prof Araj Ali of Netrakona College.

The petitioner said he learnt about the crimes during and after the war from witnesses and sources.

Motior was the vice-president of Netrakona AL when Shamsuzzaha was its president. The AL unit chief was removed from the post in 2010 for allegedly making derogatory comments about the party chief.

Later, Motior took over as the acting president. A few months ago, he was made president.

Asked why he did not bring charges earlier, Shamsuzzuha said it took him time to collect authentic information about the allegations.

Motior said he was a victim of a political rivalry over the December 28 district council polls. He sought party nomination, but did not get it.

He added that the Pakistan army had arrested his father twice and tortured him brutally to know about his whereabouts. Later, he was released into the custody of then Netrakona College principal Tosaddak Ahmed.

Motior further claimed that Pakistani soldiers had picked up his pregnant wife and took her to an army camp to glean information from her about his whereabouts.

He went to the principal's house after hearing from the principal that he would not be able to save his family members unless he appeared before the army.

Pakistani soldiers detained him at the gate of the principal's house and tortured him in their camp, said Motior, adding that the army later freed him into the principal's custody.

The Netrakona AL chief said he was under army surveillance for around two to three months until the end of the war. He claimed that he was neither involved with any anti-liberation forces nor committed any crime during the war.

Motior said a group in his party men worked to make sure that he did not get party nomination and the allegations were raised against him as “part of a conspiracy”.

Shamsuzzuha, who claimed of taking part in the Liberation War as the company commander of Sector 11, refuted the allegation that there was any political motive behind his move.