Dhaka, Jul 31 A former police superintendent (SP) of Dhaka, Mahbub Uddin Ahmed was cross-examined by Jamaat-e-Islami guru Ghulam Azam's defence at the first war crimes tribunal on Monday. Set up to deal with crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, the three-judge International Crimes Tribunal indicted the former Jamaat chief for five charges on May 13.
His charges include incitement, conspiracy and planning given his superior position within the party structure during the War of Independence.
Also a former Deputy Secretary at the home ministry and defence ministry, Mahbub Uddin was the police chief of a sub-division when the war broke out. He went on to become a sub-sector commander during the war. Mahbub Uddin had said in his deposition that the collaborators and vigilante militiamen his freedom fighters caught during the war had told him that such units like the Razakar, Al Badr and Al Shams were commanded by Ghulam Azam and his associates of Jamaat.
Ghulam Azam's charges mention that he was one of the prime movers behind the infamous Peace Committee and a member of its central body. It is said that this body was instrumental in mobilising the vigilante groups to thwart the liberation efforts and those militia, in turn, caused many of the atrocities across Bangladesh.
Defence counsel Mizanul Islam suggested to Mahbub Uddin at one of the cross-examination that the Peace Committee was initially formed to bring back peace and harmony in Bangladesh after Mar 25, when the Pakistan Army had descended upon an unsuspecting populace and massacred them to mark the beginning of the war.
Clearly disagreeing with the defence, Mahbub Uddin said, "If that were really the case then why did the Peace Committee endorse the actions of Pakistan Army?"
The defence then asked whether he had any documentary evidence that the Peace Committee members were given armed training. The witness said he did not have any since he was never in charge of such a desk.
There were a number of such other questions to which Mahbub Uddin said his official capacity did not include these matters and as such he was not aware of those things.
The court refused to include in its proceedings two questions regarding revolutionary leader Siraj Shikdar. The defence counsel asked whether Shikdar had been killed during his tenure as Dhaka Police Superintendent and whether later he was made an accused in Shikdar's murder case.
Mahbub Uddin expressed his ignorance about the local Al Badr, Al Shams or Razkar commander in the area where he was fighting saying, "I was fighting a war and I was busy handling the 9th Punjab Regiment. I had no time to find out who the heads of these outfits were."
He had the same answer to questions regarding Jamaat and its erstwhile student wing, Islami Chhatra Sangha.
The defence wrapped up Mahbub Uddin's cross-examination before lunch. The deposition of the third prosecution witness against Ghulam Azam has been scheduled on Aug 6.
The defence resumed cross-examination of another Jamaat leader, Delwar Hossain Sayedee's war crimes investigator, for the 40th time.
The tribunal Chairman, Justice Mohammad Nizamul Huq, asked prosecutor Syed Haider Ali to find out whether Sayedee was fit enough to attend the tribunal's proceedings, in which case he may be brought to the court sometimes. "But only if his health permits."
Sayedee's investigation officer ASP Mohammad Helal Uddin's cross-examination is set to continue on Tuesday.
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