16 Jul 2012: Chowdhury 7th witness testimony

After dealing with the case of Mobarek, the seventh prosecution witness in Sallahuddin Quader Chowdhury‘s case, Abbas Uddin Ahmed came to give his evidence to the court. This follows on from the sixth witness. Questioning was done by Zead Al Malum.

Prosecutor: What is your name?

Witness: My name is Abbas Uddin Ahmed.

Prosecutor: How old you are?

Witness: I am 62 years old.

Prosecutor: Would you please tell us how old you were in 1971,

Witness: I was 20 years old.

Prosecutor: In which year you have completed your BSC (Bachelor of Science)

Witness: In 1977.

Prosecutor: What are you doing now?

Witness: At present, I have a small business and at the same time I am elected as Union Parishad Chairman of the East Gujra Union situated under the Rawjaan Thana.

Prosecutor: In which class were you during the liberation war?

Witness: I was a student of the first year in city college of Chittagong during the liberation war.

Prosecutor: Did you take part in the Liberation war?

Witness: Yes, after being inspired by the speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh Majibar Rahman I had taken part in the Liberation war.

Prosecutor: Where did you live at that time?

Witness: I was living at the Unsattar para. We and our senior persons of Unsattar Para provided food to the freedom fighters who were at Chittagong. We also set up a check post at Unsattar para so that we can check all the cars that had passed through the roads. In Unsattar para there were 5 or 6 Muslim families who still had a good relation with the Hindu people of the Unsattar para. On 11 April, it may be about 3pm, the leader of Muslim league Fazlul Quder Chowdhury and his sons were passing through the road by a Volkswagen and since there was barricade or checkpost, then as usual we had stopped the car. Then sons of Fazlul Quader Chowdhury, Sallah Uddin Quader Chowdhury and Giash Uddin Quader Chowdhury and another person came out from the car and became very angry. On that very day Pakistan Army occupied the Engineering College that was the reason many Hindu people left that place. Then the following morning UP chairman of Pahartali Union came to the Unsattar para and said to the Doctor Niranjan Datta Gupta to call back all those people who had left the area. We had heard it earlier because Niranjan Datta Gupta was our close family friend. Then he informed all of the Hindu people to come back to their homes.

Hindu people came and then on 13 April in the afternoon most probably it was 4pm Makdul Hossain, Piaru, Yusuf berma came to Unsattar para and said to all Hindu people “our leader wants to talk with you, so you should have come with us”

My friend Babul Mali came to me and said that “Pakistan army have come and all hindu people are asked to go towards the house of Khitish Mahajan”. Then Babul Mali and myself came at one side of the Unsattar Para School and saw that the Pakistan army were going to the south side. At that time me and babul mali was running behind the School and I said to the Babul mali that “you go to your house and I am also going to my old house of my village” Most probably just I was 200 yards away, I heard a loud sound of Gunshot. And then I saw the body of Babul mali lying on the ground. After that I heard continuous sound of brush fire coming from the south side. Then I ran towards my house and was told that most of the people of that area were killed. After the next day we heard that Doctor Niranjan Datta Gupata committed suicide. The reason of his suicide was that all persons in that area came back according to his direction and then Pakistan army killed them. He felt guilty and committed suicide. Then on 15th April, I, along with two or three friends came at Unsattar para and at first I saw the dead body of my friend Babul Mali and his father’s dead body were 100 yards away from his body. Then we went to the house of Khitish Mahajan and found 60 or 70 dead bodies there. Afterwards, we entered inside the house and found two dead bodies of pregnant women whose pre-mature babies were partly coming out from their mothers’ womb.

Then we made a hole and just buried all those dead bodies.

Prosecutor: Who were involved with the incident of Unsattar Para?

Witness: Basically Mukdul Hossain, Piaru, Barma Yusuf did not tell the name of the leader. So, I do not know who their leader. But at that Jeep of Pakistan Army I had seen two civilian were sitting with them from very long distance. I did not identify them basically who were they.

I have heard it from the people that Salauddin Quader Chowdhury was involved with these incidents but I did not see him. The incident of Jagatmoholla para, Kundeswary is very much important among them.

Prosecutor: Did the investigation officer record your statement in this case?

Witness: Yes.

Justice Nizam: Whether Salauddin Quader Chowdhury is present here today?

Witness: Yes, (he indicated the accused dock)

Cross-examination of the Witness by the Ahsanul Haq Hena

Ahsanul Haq hena: It is not true that sons of Fazlul Quader Chowdhury had come out from the Volkswagen and became angry.

Witness: It is true.

Ahsanul haq hena: You have heard from the people that SQchy was involved with these activities is not true.

Witness: It is true.

The cross examination was completed.

Thus the court is adjourned.