The prosecution in the trial of Jamaat leader Mir Quasem Ali, charged with committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War, on Monday concluded their part of arguments at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-2 , seeking death penalty for the accused by terming him as ‘Bangali Khan’ of 1971.
Prosecutor Sultan Mahmud Simon concluded his part of arguments on charges followed by his colleague Tapas Kanti Baul, who argued on the question of whether Mir Quasem was really the commander of Al-Badr and Dalim Hotel was a torture camp run by them or not.
After the lunch break, prosecutor Rezia Sultana Chamon took the mike and started arguing on defence case. The prosecutor pointed out that the name of the mother of the first defence witness (DW), Mamtaz Nuruddin, who claimed herself as the sibling of Mir Quasem, does not match with the name of the mother of the accused.
The prosecutor also added that the remaining two DWs, who claimed themselves as Freedom Fighters (FFs), could not even tell whether forces like Razakar, Al-Badr, Al-Shams existed in Chittagong town during the war or not.
“What kind of FFs they are, who cannot even name one martyr who succumbed to the torture of Al-Badr in Dalim Hotel? What kind of FFs they are, who cannot even tell whether Razakar, Al- Badr, Al-Shams existed at that time or not?” the prosecutor asked.
After her brief arguments, prosecutor Dr Tureen Afroz took the podium and from the very start, she precisely pointed out how Mir Quasem had acted on his will as the commander of Al-Badr and led the iniquitous group in abducting, confining, torturing and subsequently killing innocent Bengalis in Dalim Hotel. “From the depositions of the prosecution witnesses (PWs), we see that Mir Quasem had set people free on conditions, threatened them of cutting into pieces. He is making decisions, directing his men in committing crimes, setting people free, all these things indicated his superior position in that group. Mir Quasem was definitely not an innocent bystander,” Tureen said.
Referring to the depositions of PWs, where it was seen that Mir Quasem was known as the “Bangali Khan” among his cohorts in Dalim Hotel torture camp, she said, “Historically the word ‘Khan’ was referred to any military ruler or commander. From this very addressing, we can assume his authority as commander.”
“There was a full-fledged system in Dalim Hotel, a system of confinement, torture, subsequently killing people and dumping their bodies in river Karnaphuli. These systematic crimes were committed under the leadership of this Bangali Khan.
His crimes had shaken the heart of world humanity.
“Mir Quasem is a man, who is a Bangali by born but acted as Bangali Khan. We from the prosecution want maximum punishment that is death for this Bangali Khan,” Tureen added.
After that, the ICT-2 adjourned the hearing till today.
The defence is scheduled to start placing their part of arguments then.
Mir Quasem, the incumbent member of central executive committee of Jamaat-e-Islami, was indicted on September 5, 2013 and the ICT-1 framed a total of 14 charges of crimes against humanity against him. Later, the trial was shifted from ICT-1 to ICT-2 for quick disposal.
Mir Quasem was arrested on June 17, 2012 from daily Naya Diganta office in the city’s Motijheel area and is now kept at Kashimpur High Security Jail.
