13 Sep 2012: Mollah 9th witness cross exam, day 5

Cross-examination of the ninth prosecution witness 9 Amir Hossain Molla in the Mollah case continued for the fifth day with defence counsel Abdus Sobahan Torofdar asking questions (carried on from the previous day)

Defence: The people you mentioned the last day with whose names you formed voluntary group, they were also hampered in the same way?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: That 21 people is dead and I assume their sons/daughters had irreparable loss.

Witness: Definitely they were hampered as they lost their fathers.

Defence: Can you tell me when Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibor Rahman came back to Bangladesh from the jail in Pakistan?

Witness: 10 January, 1972.

Defence: Indian Bihar Regiment surrounded Mirpur 12 no section from 16 December, 1971 to 27 January, 1972 to protect the innocent people of Mirpur and to make it free.

Witness: It is not true.

Defence: Bangladesh army took the charge of Mirpur on 27 January, 1972 from Indian army.

Witness: It is not true.

Defence: Did you know the Chairman Fakir Shafir Uddin of Collaborator court?

Justice Shahinur Islam: You cannot ask this directly. You have to ask him whether he knows about it or not.

Defence: Do you know about Collaborator court?

Witness: I don’t know.

Defence: Did you know Akhter hooligan?

Witness: Yes, I knew him.

Defence: He (Akhter) was punished in the ‘Collaborator Act’.

Witness: I don’t know.

Defence: When he was in jail, do you have any idea about it?

Witness: After 31 January, 1972 he was in jail.

Defence: After his punishment, he came out of the jail and he went to Pakistan

Witness: I don’t know.

Defence: From 31 January, it took one and half month for the police to collect the illegal arms.

Witness: I don’t know.

Defence: You said in the chief examination that Abdul Kader Molla trained 70/80 people in Mirpur.

Witness: It is true.

Defence: It is not true that due to the bad situation you went to Savar and then you were in a high school.

Justice A.T.M. Fazle Kabir: You cannot take line by line denial. You can only take one denial.

Defence: My Lord, according to the law I can take denial.

Justice Shahinur Islam: But we will only allow one denial.

Justice Obaidul Hassan: Please do not waste the time of the tribunal.

Defence: Whatever you have said involving Kader Molla is totally false and made up.

Witness: It is not true.

Defence: When did you give your statement to I.O.?

Witness: In 16.08.2010 in Pallabi thana.

Defence: Who informed you about giving statement to the I.O.?

Witness: The I.O. sent me notice through police.

Defence: Have you met with the I.O. before/after your statement?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: When did you go to give your statement and when did you come back?

Witness: I don’t remember exactly but probably I gave my statement in afternoon and I don’t remember the date.

Defence: How far the paddy field could be seen in the north-south side in Duaripara?

Witness: In the east and north side there were paddy field in around 300-350 yards.

Defence: There was a pond and water-hyacinth in one side of your house.

Witness: There was no such pond; there were big ponds and fields.

Defence: In which side of your house there was pond full of fishes?

Witness: In the north-east side and in the west side there were ponds and they were about 200-250 yards away from my house.

Defence: The paddy tree was not higher than the height of a man.

Witness: No.

Defence: How long the paddy tree used to be?

Witness: 2.5 feet.

Defence: On 23 and 24 March you did not go anywhere with your family leaving your house.

Witness: It is not true.

Defence: In 25 March, 1971 you were in the village with your family.

Witness: It is not true.

Defence: On 24 April, 1971 during the occurrence you were hidden in the ponds and water-hyacinth with your family members.

Witness: It is not true. Me and my father, we were in the west-north corner of a pond full of water-hyacinth in Alubdi village and we saw the incident from there.

Defence: The voluntary statement you just gave is false.

Witness: It is true.

Defence: You have not seen any incident on that day.

Witness: We saw everything.

Defence: The water-hyacinth you just talked about is in Duaripara not in AlubdI village.

Witness: It is not true.

Defence: You did not tell the I.O. that the condition of the country was worse and you and your father went to cut off the paddy.

Witness: I said.

Defence: You did not tell the I.O. that there was rifle in the hand of Kader Molla.

Witness: I said.

Defence: You did not tell the I.O. about your training in Melaghor.

Witness: I said.

Defence: You did not tell the I.O. that Kader Molla used to train 700-800 people in Mohammadpur Physical College.

Witness: I said.

Defence: Whatever you said including the accused is completely false and made up.

Witness: Whatever I said is true.

Justice A.T.M Fazle Kabir: Next hearing is on 17 September, 2012.