[Bangla Daily Star] Reinforcing the testimonies of two previous witnesses, prosecution witness Mostafa Hawlader yesterday told the International Crimes Tribunal that he saw Sayeedi along with other collaborators looting and burning a number of shops in Parerhaat Bazar in 1971.Mostafa said he saw Delwar Hossain Sikder (he kept referring to Jamaat-e-Islami
...
The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka
The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an
independentbranch there since 1975. It close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores...
leader Delwar Hossain Sayeedi
...Islamic orator and politician. He was a former Member of Parliament in the National Assembly of Bangladesh from 1996 to 2008, and is one of the most prominent leaders of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami...
as Delwar Hossain Sikder) direct Pak soldiers to the houses of Hindus and Awami League supporters in Parerhaat Bazar during the Liberation War.
"The Pakistain army then ordered a looting of the bazaar. Delwar Hossain Sikder, Moslem Moulana, Sekander Sikder and Khalil Moulvi along with other peace committee members then looted 30 to 35 shops at Parerhaat Bazar," Mostafa, the eighth prosecution witness, said.
Earlier, Mahbubul Alam Hawlader and Ruhul Amin Nobin, the first two prosecution witnesses, also narrated how the Jamaat leader had been involved in the looting of shops and houses in Parerhaat Bazaar.
Mostafa, 56, concluded his testimony yesterday in the case filed against Sayeedi in connection with crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War of 1971.
After his deposition, the three-member tribunal led by its chairman, Justice Md Nizamul Huq, began recording Mostafa's cross-examination yesterday. The cross-examination will resume today.
Mostafa, who used to sell chhola muri (a mix of chickpeas and puffed rice) at Parerhaat during the Liberation War, was at the Parerhaat Bazar on May 7, 1971.
According to him, Sayeedi was known as Delwar Hossain Sikder until around 15 to 16 years ago, when he came to be known as Delwar Hossain Sayeedi.
He said he remembers seeing Delwar Hossain Sikder, Sekander Sikder, Danesh Mollah, Moslem Moulana and other members of the peace committee and Razakars (collaborators) waiting near the north end of Parerhaat Bazar.
Later, 52 Pak soldiers arrived at the rickshaw stand near the bazaar in 26 rickshaws.
"Delwar Hossain Sikder, Sekander Sikder, Danesh Mollah, and Moslem Moulana spoke to the soldiers. They showed them the houses of Hindus and Awami League supporters," he said.
It was then that Sayeedi, along with other collaborators and Pak soldiers, looted the houses and shops in Parerhaat Bazar.
According to Mostafa, the looting lasted for around 60 to 90 minutes.
The Pakistain army then left Parerhaat and set up its camp at Rajlakshmi High School, Mostafa said.
The next day, some "15 to 16 Pakistain soldiers and 30 to 35 Razakars went to Badura village", he said, where Delwar Hossain Sikder pointed out to the soldiers the house of Noor Khan.
Mostafa, who was at the other end of an adjacent canal, saw the collaborators and soldiers torch the house of Noor Khan.
The collaborators and soldiers then moved to the house of Raisuddin Poshari, a local Awami League supporter. They looted the house and torched it, he said.
Their next stop was Shahiduddin Poshari's house, where three residential quarters, a guesthouse and a granary were also plundered before they were torched.
Shahiduddin Poshari is the father of Manik Poshari, who is also a witness in the case.
"Two people used to look after the buffaloes in Shahiduddin Poshari's house," Mostafa told the court. "They were Mofiz and Ibrahim Kutti."