Two Hindu women returned home in 'indescribable state'

A Hindu septuagenarian woman yesterday testified that Forkan Mallik and his cohorts left her sister and sister-in-law in front of their Patuakhali house in a condition she would "not be able to describe" after abducting and taking them to a Razakar camp a day before during the 1971 Liberation War.

Meanwhile, a man testified before International Crimes Tribunal-1 that his father was among those war crimes accused Sheikh Sirajul Haque alias Siraj Master along with other Razakars killed in Bagerhat's Chulkathi Bazar on October 14 during the 1971 Liberation War.

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Earlier, Shanti Kabiraj and Chand Miah testified before International Crimes Tribunal-2 linking Forkan with the rape charge.

Her mother had screamed on seeing them, causing her uncles, aunts, neighbours Shanti Kabiraj and Motilal Roy and others to come rushing in, said the 10th prosecution witness, now aged 78 years.

She went to her father-in-law's house in the district the following day for security reasons and her family left for India four or five days later when the duo's condition improved, she added.

Forkan, Bellal, Shahjahan, Mannan and others, whom she had been acquainted with, had abducted them from their home in Mirzaganj upazila's Subidkhali around 9:00pm on the third day of the Bangla month of Bhadra, she said.

"I witnessed the incident hiding inside our house," she said. Proceedings were adjourned until tomorrow, when she will be cross-examined.

An alleged Razakar commander of Mirzaganj, Forkan, 63, denies the the five charges including murders committed in the southern district during the Liberation War.

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Sukumar Das, 56, said he tried to follow the accused when they abducted Bijoy Das from Ghanoshyampur village but had to turn back after being threatened.

"That night a friend of my maternal uncle who was a cobbler by profession told me that accused Siraj Master and his associates killed my father...the following day, I went to the spot but could not find my father's body but saw blood," said the 29th prosecution witness.

The defence counsel cross-examined Sukumar and proceedings were adjourned until March 18.