Freedom fighter PW corroborates a Razakar PW against Mobarak

A freedom fighter prosecution witness on Wednesday corroborated another PW’s evidence narrating how accused Mobarak Hossain, a 1971 Razakar Commander, had been involved in the ‘crimes against humanity’ during the Liberation War.
PW–10 Abdul Hamid, also a defected soldier from then East Bengal Regiment stationed in Chittagong in 1971, during his deposition before the International Crimes Tribunal-1, said he had heard of the criminal activities of accused Mobarak from his brother Abdur Rouf who was made a Razakar under duress.
“Mobarak had forced my brother to become a Razakar and made his sidekick,” recalled Hamid, adding that his Razakar brother died three and half years ago.
Referring to what he heard from his brother, Hamid said Mobarak and his cohorts had stormed the Kali Mandir in Brahmanbaria and renamed it as Razakar Manjil. Mobarak and his associates had also gunned down Ashu Ranjan Dev on the bank of Kurulia canal.
PW Hamid said he also came to know from his brother that Mobarak while at Suhilpur makeshift Razakar camp had killed Abdul Khaleq, a freedom fighter, and dumped his body at Bakail ghat on the bank of river Titas, after capturing him from his village Chhatian.
Besides, he added, Mobarak along with his cohorts had also handed over 30-35 people to the Pakistan occupation army, who were later gunned down on the west bank of Gagasagar Dighi.
During Hamid’s deposition, the tribunal expressed its dissatisfaction over the testimony of the PW as he could not tell the specific date and time of the incidents.
The tribunal also reprimanded designated prosecutor Abul Kalam for producing the witness in the dock without groundwork.
During his cross-examination by the defence counsel Ahsanul Huq Hena, PW Hamid denied that his family was known as Razakar family in their Nayadil village.
Admitting himself as a hearsay witness, Hamid told the tribunal that he had divulged whatever he had heard from his brother about accused Mobarak, now in custody.
-UNB