Two link 'Al-Badr' men to killing of family members

Two prosecution witnesses yesterday linked four alleged Al-Badr men of Jamalpur to the killing of two of their family members in the district during the Liberation War of 1971.

The four are: Ashraf Hossain, Sharif Ahammed, Abdul Mannan, and Abdul Bari.

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The 11th prosecution witness, Shamsul Alam Dudu, 63, told the International Crimes Tribunal-1 that one of his grandfathers, Hamid Moktar, was an organiser of the Liberation War.

He said on July 7, 1971, at about 10:00pm, 70-80 people, including Hamid, were listening to news on the radio on their house premises at Mohisha Bhaduria village of Sarishabari upazila, while he and his elder brother Fazlul Haque were listening to the radio inside the room.

"Suddenly I heard a gunshot and went towards the door," said Dudu, adding that he saw many Al-Badr men and the Pakistani occupation army encircling the people outside and torturing them.

"I recognised some Al-Badr men. They were Ashraf, Mannan, Bari, Khalek and Natu. My grandfather Hamid Moktar and I were tied," he said.

Hamid requested the Al-Badr men to let Dudu and others go, but to no avail. The Al-Badr and the Pakistani army caught five of the people, including Dudu and his grandfather, on that day and took them to Jamalpur town. Dudu and one Mohir Sheikh alias Madhu were later released and the rest were taken to a camp.

The witness said he returned home and found his paternal uncle, Yad Ali Mondal, shot dead.

On July 14, a senior subedar of the Pakistani army set Hamid free and he went to late Hajrat Ali Muhuri's house in Amlapara.

"On that day after Asr prayers, Al-Badr men Ashraf, Mannan, Sharif, Bari and others again detained my grandfather and took him to the camp. My grandfather was never found," said Dudu.

His grandfather along with 15 others was taken to a crematorium and shot there, he said, quoting Saidur Rahman alias Sadu Chairman, who was among the 15 men but survived the shooting.

The 12th prosecution witness, Asadullah alias Shona Miah, the son of martyr Yad Ali, gave almost a similar description of the night of July 7.

The defence counsels cross-examined the two before the proceeding was adjourned until December 27.

The four along with another four alleged Al-Badr men -- Shamsul Haque, SM Yusuf Ali, Harun, and Abul Hashem -- face five charges of crimes against humanity.