A freedom fighter, who went through brutal torture in the hands of Razakars in Jessore, on Wednesday testified as the sixth prosecution witness (PW) in a war crimes case against former Jamaat lawmaker Mawlana Sakhawat Hossain and his eight cohorts.
The other eight accused are Billal Hossain, Lutfor Morol, Md Ibrahim Hossain, Sheikh Md Mujibur Rahman, Md Abdul Aziz Sarder, Qazi Ohidul Islam alias Wahidur Salam, Md Aziz Sarder and Abdul Khalek Morol.
Miron Sheikh, 66, a resident of village Mohadebpur under Keshabpur upazila in Jessore, narrated how the accused and their cronies chased and shot at him, hitting his hand, making his two fingers blown away.
“They picked me up and took me to Chingra Razakar camp. There, in presence of Sakhawat, Razakars beat me up with rifle butt, making me senseless. When I got back my sense, Sakhawat asked me about the whereabouts of my fellow freedom fighters. As I refused to give him any information, he twisted my left leg and broke it,” said the sexagenarian witness.
After his deposition, defence counsels Abdus Sattar Palowan and Abdus Shukur Khan cross-examined him. The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 then adjourned the hearing till today.
The first tribunal on December 23, 2015, indicted the nine accused, framing five charges of crimes against humanity.
Of the nine accused, Sakhawat, Lutfor and Billal are now in jail while the others are still at large.
