Good's Hill, the hilltop residence of BNP MP Salauddin Quader Chowdhury charged with war crimes, was used by Al-Shams as their headquarters in Chittagong during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, recounted a witness as Salauddin's defence cross-examined him on Wednesday at the International Crimes Tribunal-1.
Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and his father Fazlul Quader Chowdhury also received money from the then Pakistan government to distribute it among the members belonging to Rajakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams, paramilitary outfits which helped Pakistan Army in 1971 to carry out killings of Bangladeshi people, the witness added.
ICT-1, set up to try crimes against humanity during the 1971 War of Independence, is trying Salauddin on 23 charges of crimes against humanity.
"As far as I know, Good's Hill was the headquarters of Al-Shams," said Mohammad Salimullah, the second witness in Salauddin Quader Chowdhury's case, as defence cross-examined him for the second consecutive day.
Replying to another question posed by the defence on funding of Al-Shams and the two other paramilitary auxiliary forces by the then Pakistan government, Salimullah said, "Probably, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and his father Fazlul Quader Chowdhury distributed the money."
Earlier, on Sunday, while giving deposition, Salimullah mentioned that a red jeep was used to bring 'pro-liberation people and beautiful girls' to Good's Hill as 'prisoners' in 1971.
During the cross-examination, defence counsel, Ahsanul Haq, lost his temper repeatedly as Salimullah, in reply to a question, said that Ahsanul's father advocate Zahurul Haq was the convener of Cox's Bazar chapter of Peace Committee, another platform floated during the war to collaborate with Pakistan army.
"In my service life I always experienced that it is the lawyers who irritate the witnesses. But, this is for the first time I am experiencing that a witness is irritating a lawyer," said Judge Zaheer Ahmed, adding, "In this case, the witness is enjoying while the lawyer seems helpless."
An apparently irritated Ahsanul Haq replied, "I have not seen such a shrewd (witness) in my life."
Zaheer reminded the counsel that he was becoming angry often.
Ahsanul tried to calm his temper after the judge's remark, but he lost it soon.
"On many occasions, I have seen him (witness) talking to beautiful girls and taking them to unknown destinations by holding their hands," said Ahsanul Haq in one of his 'unprofessional remarks' as a counsel.
Prosecutor Zead-Al-Malum objected and said, "It has no legal basis to torture a witness in the name of cross-examination. They (the defence) are doing this in a planned way. They are doing this not only for this case, but to send a message that if someone becomes a witness s/he will be questioned in this way for days."
During the cross-examination, Ahsanul, who is also from Chittagong as the accused and the witness, tried to attack the witness from different angles.
At one stage, he asked questions about the whereabouts of Salimullah's wife during the 1971 liberation war, triggering exchange of heated words between the defence and prosecution.
Soon Justice Nizamul Huq, chief of the three-member tribunal formed to try crimes against humanity during 1971 liberation war, intervened.
"This is a very bad sound. If it happens again, we won't allow anyone to enter the court," he said.
At one point, Ahsanul questioned authenticity of the witness' deposition that while in confinement at the Good's Hill the witness had heard dogs barking.
"No Muslim will keep domesticated dog at his house. It's impossible," said Ahsanul.
"Mr Chowdhury kept a herd of dogs in fear of freedom fighters," replied Salimullah.
As the day's proceedings neared its end, the tribunal requested the defence to keep in mind that the case proceeding is not delayed unnecessarily.
The court adjourned the cross-examination at 4pm, when the prosecution continued alleging that the defence was wasting time by repeating irrelevant questions.
"The trial has begun 40 years later. Let them take their time. He (the counsel) won't be able to save the war criminals," said Salimullah as he was leaving the dock.
Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and his father Fazlul Quader Chowdhury also received money from the then Pakistan government to distribute it among the members belonging to Rajakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams, paramilitary outfits which helped Pakistan Army in 1971 to carry out killings of Bangladeshi people, the witness added.
ICT-1, set up to try crimes against humanity during the 1971 War of Independence, is trying Salauddin on 23 charges of crimes against humanity.
"As far as I know, Good's Hill was the headquarters of Al-Shams," said Mohammad Salimullah, the second witness in Salauddin Quader Chowdhury's case, as defence cross-examined him for the second consecutive day.
Replying to another question posed by the defence on funding of Al-Shams and the two other paramilitary auxiliary forces by the then Pakistan government, Salimullah said, "Probably, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and his father Fazlul Quader Chowdhury distributed the money."
Earlier, on Sunday, while giving deposition, Salimullah mentioned that a red jeep was used to bring 'pro-liberation people and beautiful girls' to Good's Hill as 'prisoners' in 1971.
During the cross-examination, defence counsel, Ahsanul Haq, lost his temper repeatedly as Salimullah, in reply to a question, said that Ahsanul's father advocate Zahurul Haq was the convener of Cox's Bazar chapter of Peace Committee, another platform floated during the war to collaborate with Pakistan army.
"In my service life I always experienced that it is the lawyers who irritate the witnesses. But, this is for the first time I am experiencing that a witness is irritating a lawyer," said Judge Zaheer Ahmed, adding, "In this case, the witness is enjoying while the lawyer seems helpless."
An apparently irritated Ahsanul Haq replied, "I have not seen such a shrewd (witness) in my life."
Zaheer reminded the counsel that he was becoming angry often.
Ahsanul tried to calm his temper after the judge's remark, but he lost it soon.
"On many occasions, I have seen him (witness) talking to beautiful girls and taking them to unknown destinations by holding their hands," said Ahsanul Haq in one of his 'unprofessional remarks' as a counsel.
Prosecutor Zead-Al-Malum objected and said, "It has no legal basis to torture a witness in the name of cross-examination. They (the defence) are doing this in a planned way. They are doing this not only for this case, but to send a message that if someone becomes a witness s/he will be questioned in this way for days."
During the cross-examination, Ahsanul, who is also from Chittagong as the accused and the witness, tried to attack the witness from different angles.
At one stage, he asked questions about the whereabouts of Salimullah's wife during the 1971 liberation war, triggering exchange of heated words between the defence and prosecution.
Soon Justice Nizamul Huq, chief of the three-member tribunal formed to try crimes against humanity during 1971 liberation war, intervened.
"This is a very bad sound. If it happens again, we won't allow anyone to enter the court," he said.
At one point, Ahsanul questioned authenticity of the witness' deposition that while in confinement at the Good's Hill the witness had heard dogs barking.
"No Muslim will keep domesticated dog at his house. It's impossible," said Ahsanul.
"Mr Chowdhury kept a herd of dogs in fear of freedom fighters," replied Salimullah.
As the day's proceedings neared its end, the tribunal requested the defence to keep in mind that the case proceeding is not delayed unnecessarily.
The court adjourned the cross-examination at 4pm, when the prosecution continued alleging that the defence was wasting time by repeating irrelevant questions.
"The trial has begun 40 years later. Let them take their time. He (the counsel) won't be able to save the war criminals," said Salimullah as he was leaving the dock.