17/07/26'No complaints against Sayedee' (bdnews25.wapamp.com/Dhaka)
�The fifth defence witness for Jamaat-e- Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee told the first war crimes tribunal on Sunday that not a single person of Parerhat had complained against Sayedee. The 62-year old freedom fighter, also a former member of Awami League's student wing, said that a large contingent had reached Parerhat in the first week of December in 1971 when hundreds of people spoke about atrocities by the vigilante militia men collaborating with the Pakistani Army. The three-judge International Crimes Tribunal�1, trying crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, indicted Sayedee for 20 war crimes charges on Oct 3, 2011. His alleged crimes include murder, rape, arson and loot. Sayedee is alleged to have been a member of the local Peace Committee as well as Razakar. Along with the Al Badr and Al Shams, the Razakars are alleged to have been responsible for widespread atrocities in their bid to thwart liberation forces. The peace committee was more of a social front of these vigilante militia groups. Former Chhatra Leaguer Khasrul Alam, an HSC student during the war, said he heard in early May 1971 that his home in Shankarpasha of Pirojpur had come under attack. Led by one Mohsin Razakar, son of local peace committee member Shafizuddin Maulana, some Pakistani soldiers had looted his village and burnt down his house said the witness. "My septuagenarian mother suffered physical assault at their hands." The witness said there were not incidents of rape in either Shankarpasha or Parerhat Unions during the war. He said that a large contingent of freedom fighters reached Parerhat on Dec 7, 1971 led by the Sundarban sub-sector commander Zaiuddin and his second in command Shamsul Alam Talukdar, who has already testified on behalf of Sayedee. Captain Zia had addressed a large congregation of about 1200 people of Parerhat and told the people to voice their complaints to his boys there. This was followed by Shamsul Alam Talukdar, to whom people had apparently complained about the Razakars and Peace Committee members. Khasrul Alam said there were complaints about a number of infamous Razakars. "But there was not a single person who spoke against Sayedee." He said there were complaints against a number of other Razakars and peace committee members including Sekendar Shikdar, Moslem Maulana and Danesh Maulvi. When asked if he could identify Sayedee � who was sitting in dock in white kurta- pyjama and his trademark beard dyed red with henna � the witness said he could indeed identify the man in the dock. "He used to have the same get up then, as he has today." Prosecutor Syed Haider Ali began cross-examining the witness and is set to resume on Monday.
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