2 Oct 2012: Sayedee 7th defense witness

After the hearing dealing with Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, the defence witness number 7, Jamal Hossain Fakir, was then called to give evidence in the trial of Delwar Hossain Sayedee. (see 6th witness)

He told the court that his father’s name was the Late Mofajjal Ali Fakir, his mother’s Name wasHajera Khatun, he was 60 years old and he comes from the Village Nolbunia and he was involved in cultivation and occasional fishing.

He said that,

In 1971 I was in the same profession. In our area in the month of Asshin (a bangla month) there were huge water in every canal and cavity. In 1971 in the middle of month Asshin, I placed a fish-hook in a cavity in the first half of the night and I went to collect it at the last period of night. After returning home I heard a massive sound. Hearing this I was alarmed and also heard that from the house of Azahar Ali Hawlader, whose house is just behind our house, that a sound of cries were coming. Then I entered our house. After returning back to the house, my father said that since the sounds of crying and another big sound was heard from Azahar Ali’s house we should go to see them. We went in east side of Azahar Ali’s house and hiding from a big tree we saw that the dead body of Ibrahim Kutti was left in the yard. I saw Ayub Ali Choukidar, Kalam Choukidar, Hakim Munshi, Monnan, Ashraf Ali all of them drag the dead body to the canal. Behind them Danesh Mollah, Sekandar Moulana, Moslem Moulana, Ruhul Amin, Momin all those people took Shaheb Ali, with his hands tied, behind his back, along with his mother towards Parerhat. I went forward and saw that the dead body of Ibrahim Kutti was taken away on a boat towards Parerhat. Then I went back to Shaheb Ali’s house. There Mamtaz Begam, wife of Ibrahim Kutti was crying over floor and her hand was bleeding. Her sister Rani was binding a bandage on her hand. I asked Mamtaz Begum what had happened to her hand. She told that the gun shot which killed Ibrahim Kutti also injured her hand. Her father was also injured by a stick. Then there were lots of neighboring people gathered. Then we went home. Afterwards we heard that Shaheb Ali and her mother were taken to Parerhat and the dead body of Ibrahim Kutti was thrown into the Badura pool of Parerhat. Then approximately at 11 pm I heard that Shaheb Ali’s mother returned home and we went there to see her. I asked her where Shaheb Ali was. She answered that Shaheb Ali was taken to Pirojpur and killed. After this the country got independence and after 5/6 months of independence Momtaz Begam filed a suit for her husband and brother’s killing.

Witness wanted to add that he and his family was threatened by some people in Pirojpur who told him not to give evidence for Sayedee, but the chairman said that this was not part of his evidence and should not be recorded.

Haider Ali said that he was not prepared to cross examine the witness, but the chairman said that he should start with at least some questions.

  Cross Examination by the defence lawyer Haider Ali took place.

Haider Ali: How many Hawlader houses are in your locality?

Jamal Hossain: Two.

Haider Ali: How many Fakir houses are in your locality?

Jamal Hossain: Two.

Haider Ali: What did your father do in 71?

Jamal Hossain: He was a farmer.

Haider Ali: The fish you people caught what did you do that?

Jamal Hossain: If we got a good quantity of fishes we sold it and if not we will eat them.

Haider Ali: When did you go to collect fish?

Jamal Hossain: Before Fazar’s prayer.

Then the court adjourned till the following day