2 witnesses link them to attack on village

The 21st prosecution witness in a war crimes case yesterday testified that the five accused from Kishoreganj's Karimganj upazila took part in a planned attack on his village, a stronghold of freedom fighters, during the 1971 Liberation War.

Moreover, the 22nd witness, Suruj Ali, gave an almost identical description of the attack but unlike his predecessor Mohammad Muslim, he linked three of the five, Gazi Abdul Mannan, Nasiruddin Ahmed and his brother Shamsuddin Ahmed, to the attack.

Gazi was the alleged commander of Karimganj Razakar Bahini in Kishoreganj while its members were Nasiruddin, Shamsuddin, Hafiz Uddin and Azharul Islam. Only Shamsuddin is now in jail while the rest on the run. They face seven charges.

Muslim, of the upazila's Atkapara village, told International Crimes Tribunal-1 that Razakars targeted the village as most inhabitants supported Awami League and members of nearly every family took part in the Liberation War as a freedom fighter.

The five, along with some 10 to 15 Razakars, came to the village on a day near the end of the Bangla month of Bhadra, said the 65-year-old. He quoted Gazi as saying, "This village is a stronghold of freedom fighters, burn it." The others then set fire to some 20 to 25 houses, he said, stating to have witnessed it from his aunt's house.

The three-member tribunal led by Justice Anwarul Haque adjourned proceedings until January 10 after defence counsels completed cross-examining both witnesses.