Jahanara Begum, widow of martyr Rozob Ali Biswas on Thursday testified in the trial of Jamaat nayeb-e-ameer Mawlana Abdus Subhan, accusing him of ordering the killing of her husband during the War of Liberation.
Appearing as the seventh prosecution witness (PW), Jahanara, 65, hailed from village Shahapur under Iswardi police station of Pabna, said her husband, who was a contractor by profession, was also involved with the politics of Awami League and was a local leader of ‘Swadhinota Sangram Parishad’.
“On May 2, 1971, Subhan along with Pakistani troops raided our village and fired indiscriminately. I along with my husband, his friend Shamsul Haque, and my in- laws took shelter in a bamboo thicket but Subhan and his cohorts apprehended us. As the troops were about to shoot my husband following the order of Subhan, I grabbed his leg and begged mercy. But Subhan shoved me away and then the troops shoot my husband and his friend right away,” Jahanara said.
“They killed our neighbor Rahim Sarder, Mahmud Sarder, Chand Ali Pramanik, Akter Pramanik, Anar Pramanik, Hamej Uddin Pramanik on that day. Subhan and his men ransacked 10/15 houses and set those on fire,” she added.
After her deposition, the defence cross-examined her and the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-2 adjourned the hearing till May 25.
The 77-year-old Jamaat leader was indicted on December 31, 2013, on nine counts of crimes against humanity by the ICT-1. On March 27, 2014, the ICT-1 transferred the case to ICT-2 acting suo moto.
