Ex-MP Shakhawat shot FF informer dead

A prosecution witness yesterday testified that he had seen former Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP lawmaker Shakhawat Hossain shoot dead an informer of the freedom fighters in Jessore's Keshabpur upazila during the Liberation War in 1971.

Kazi Abdul Aziz, of Chingra village in the upazila and the fifth prosecution witness in the case against nine Jessore men including Shakhawat, told the International Crimes Tribunal-1 that he himself was tortured by Shakhawat's accomplices at the time of the killing.

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The eight others accused are Mujibur Rahman, Abdul Khaleq, Lutfar Morol, Billal Hossain, Kazi Ohidul Islam, Aziz Sardar, Aziz Sardar (2), and Ibrahim Hossain.

The nine face five charges. Of them, Shakhawat, Billal and Lutfar are now in jail and have pleaded not guilty. The rest are on the run.

The 66-year-old witness said he used to work at his uncle's storehouse at Chingra Bazar during the war and Razakar camps were set up at Chingra Bazar Sub-Registrar's Office, Union Council Office and the primary school there.

Shakhawat was the commander of the camps, he said.

Around 8:30am on the 28th of Bangla month of Ashwin, when he was working at the storehouse, he saw accused Ibrahim, Abdul Aziz (son of Fulmia), Abdul Aziz (son of Ahmed Sarder), Abdul Khaleq, Lutfar Morol and four to five other armed Razakars, were taking a boy, hands tied behind his back, towards the western side of the Bazar.

The witness said after sometime, when he and a shopkeeper Khandakar Abdul Razzak headed for home, those Razakars intercepted them, and at that time, Aziz heard Ibrahim asking the boy "to get ready".

Then Ibrahim asked the two of them to take the boy to the ferry ghat of Chingra Bazar but when they refused, Ibrahim and Aziz (son of Ful Sarder) hit them with the rifle butt, the witness said.

When they took the boy to the ferry ghat, Shakhawat asked his accomplices, "You are yet to kill the boy?" Shakhawat then took a rifle from Ibrahim and shot the boy.

When Ibrahim and Aziz beat them again, they threw the body into the nearby river, said the witness, adding that later they learnt the name of the boy, Abdul Malek of Hijaldanga; he was killed because he used to supply information about Razakars to the freedom fighters.

The case proceeding was adjourned until March 2 after the defence completed his cross-examination.

CRIMES IN MYMENSINGH

Meanwhile, the tribunal yesterday directed the prosecution to submit formal charges, if any, on March 23 in a case filed against three Mymensingh men for their alleged involvement in crimes committed during the war.

The accused are Amjad Ali, 88, son of Fajar Ali Akanda of Palashihata (or Kishoreganj) village, Riaz Uddin Fakir, 65, son of Nayeb Ali Fakir of Bhalukjan village, and Wajuddin, 70, son of Joynal Abedin of Bidyananda village, under Phulbaria upazila in Mymensingh.

Of the three, Amjad died while the investigation was going on. Riaz is now in jail, and Wajuddin on the run.

The tribunal yesterday set the date after Prosecutor Hrishikesh Saha filed a time petition, saying the prosecution received the probe report and other documents against the three on February 18 but they needed three weeks' time for preparation to submit formal charges.