On 2 August, prosecutors filed a petition with the Tribunal, asking it to issue an arrest warrant against Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Delwar Hossain Sayedee alleging that he was involved in war crimes during 1971.
Following this application, a hearing took place on 5 August.
The application for an arrest warrant was made following the transfer of a case that had been lodged with in Pirojpur. A freedom fighter Mahbubul Alam of Tengrakhali under Zianagar Upazila filed one case with Zianagar police station on Aug 31 2009, and Malik Pashari of Chithlia filed another case on August 12 2009.
At the hearing the prosecutor Rezaur Rahman set out some specific allegations against Sayedee. According to the bdnews24.com and the Daily Star's reports, the prosecutor said a contingent of the Pakistan army led by then captain Ejaj went to Pirojpur. A meeting then book place between Captain Ejaj, and Delwar Hossain Sayedee, who pledged to provide the Pakistan army full cooperation to the army for "saving Pakistan".
The prosecution went onto say that after establishing close links with captain Ejaj, Sayedee established Razakar, Al-Badar and Al-Shams comprising the anti-liberation forces including the local Jamaat-e-Islami. He said that this was done to establish themselves as an auxiliary force of the Pakistan army in Pirojpur and its adjacent areas.
He went onto say that these groups took a stand against freedom fighters and the pro-independence citizens and committed murder, arson, looting, rape and also forced women to go to the Pakistan army personnel allowing them to be raped.
Specifically, the prosecutor alleged that Sayedee and his associates along with the Pakistan armed forces entered the houses of pro-independence citizens living at Chishtia village of Pirojpur. - Alamgir Poshari, Mahbub Poshsari, Chan Mian, Jahangir Poshari and Kanchan Poshari - at around 3pm on May 8, 1971, where they looted their money, gold ornaments and valuables.
He also alleged that their houses were set fire to.
It is then alleged that on instructions of Sayedee, men killed more than nine people and handed over several people to the Pakistani occupying forces to be killed.
In addition, the prosecutor alleged that at around 10:00am on June 2, 1971, criminals led by Sayedee and associates of the Pakistan forces entered a Hindu area at Umedkhali village at Pirojpur on the eastern side to Tengrakhali village, and looted money, gold ornaments and valuables, and torched their homes.
It was also alleged that they held the people of the village hostage, tortured them by tying them to coconut trees and then shot them dead.
After hearing this, the Tribunal however however, did not issue an arrest warrant.
The tribunal chairman said that."Since the suspect is in jail custody, we are inclined to issue a production warrant first asking the jail authority to bring the said suspect [Sayedee] and hear the application [submitted by the prosecution for Sayedee's arrest warrant] in his presence,"
He also fixed that date for hearing of the six separate petitions filed earlier by the defence in relation to four other Jamaat leaders.
bdnews24.com: Sayedee to stand before Tribunal, 10 August, 5 August 2010
Daily Star: Tribunal hears war crimes of Sayedee, 5 August 2010
bdnews24.com: War crimes cases against Sayedee sent to Tribunal, 21 July 2010
No comments:
Post a Comment