UNB, Dhaka :
The investigation officer (IO) of the International Crimes Tribunals on Sunday said 1971 war crimes accused Engineer Abdul Jabbar, now on the run, had publicly announced that Muslims were entitled to enjoy the looted goods and chattels of the Hindus as the war booty.
Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police M Helal Uddin made the statement before the tribunal while testifying against the fugitive accused as the IO of the case and also the last prosecution witness (PW-24), referring to his information collected during investigation. In his 75-minute deposition, ASP Helal said Jabbar, then a prominent leader of Muslim League that opposed the Liberation War of Bangladesh, along with his Razakar force in collaboration with the Pakistan occupation army had overtly and covertly perpetrated the crimes against humanity like murder, genocide, loot, arson attack, deportation and conversion to Muslims from Hindus in different villages of Mathbaria, Pirojpur in 1971.
During the Liberation War, Jabbar used to deliver provocative speeches among the members of Peace Committee (collaborators) and Razakars to spread hatred and vengeance against the freedom-loving people, he said.
“After visiting the places of occurrences and scrutinising the recorded statements by prosecution witnesses, it primarily appears that accused Jabbar had played a leading role against the Liberation War and he should be brought to justice for his alleged offences of crimes against humanity,” the IO said.
Helal took over the charge of investigation into the case on July 8, 2010. The IO submitted the investigation report to the prosecution on April 28, this year, accusing Jabbar of perpetrating the war crimes under sections 3(2) and 4(1) (2) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973.
During the investigation, the IO said he through interrogation had recorded the statements of 58 people and made 40 people as prosecution witnesses (PWs) after scrutiny to prove the charges as proposed by the prosecution.
Of them, the prosecution examined 24 PWs, including the IO of the case, bearing in mind enough to prove the case. More that once awarded PPM (President’s Police Medal) for his distinguished service, IO Helal will be cross-examined by the state-appointed defence counsel on Monday. Earlier, the three-member tribunal, headed by Justice M Enayetur Rahim, did not allow the prosecution plea under section 19 (2) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973 seeking acceptance of their two witnesses’ statements recorded by the investigation officer as evidence against war crimes accused Jabbar without cross-examinations as they have died by the time.
The tribunal, however, disposed of the plea keeping with the record the two statements.
On August 14, the tribunal framed charges against Abdul Jabbar for his involvement in crimes against humanity during the Liberation War after fulfilling the requirement of law for trying a fugitive accused, including the appointment of state defence counsel. On May 11, the prosecution submitted to the ICT Registrar the proposed charges accusing Jabbar of perpetrating the crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.
The prosecution pressed five counts of war crimes charges against the former Jatiya Party MP, believed to have been living in the USA. The investigator ‘found’ Jabbar’s involvement in crimes like killing, genocide, arson, looting and forcefully converting many Hindus to Muslims in the then Mathbaria thana of Pirojpur during the war. Jabbar had been made chairman of local thana Peace Committee (collaborator) and he then organised Razakar outfit in Mathbaria, according to an investigation report.
Octogenarian Jabbar of Khetachhira in Mathbaria was the vice-chairman of Jatiya Party. He had joined the Pakistan Muslim League through his father-in-law, Arshed Ali Hawlader, who was an influential Muslim League leader.
Jabbar later joined the Jatiya Party of Gen (retd) HM Ershad and was twice elected Member of Parliament with the party tickets in 1986 and 1988.
