Freedom fighters carried operation to kill Chittagong wartime terror Salauddin Quader in 1971

Guerrillas fighting for Bangladesh’ freedom had carried out an operation in the 1971 war to kill Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, whose death sentence has been upheld by the apex court.

Chowdhury was injured in the September ambush, while his driver was killed, said freedom fighter Mahbubul Alam, who was part of the mission.

After the verdict on Wednesday, he said the operation had proved Chowdhury’s claim of being outside the country in 1971 false.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 sentenced Chowdhury to death on Oct 1, 2013 for murdering Kundeshwari Oushadhalaya owner Nutan Chandra Singha, genocide of Hindus at Sultanpur and Unsattar Parha.

He was also convicted for the abduction and murder of Hathazari Awami League leader Sheikh Mujaffar and his son Sheikh Alamgir.

The Appellate Division confirmed the ICT verdict after the BNP leader challenged it.

The 1971 war veterans said Chowdhury had let loose terror on Raozan, Rangunia, Hathhazari, Boalkhali and Chittagong city with murder, massacre, loot and arson.

The eleventh prosecution witness, Alam told  bdnews24.com, “Salauddin Quader was involved in mass killings by setting people’s home ablaze. He tortured liberation fighters at his Goods Hill residence.”

“This is why we had decided to kill him.”

He said the mission at the end of September was unsuccessful as Chowdhury’s driver, instead of him, had died.

Freedom fighter Kazi Nurul Absar was among the members of the mission.

He, too, testified before the tribunal.

“Salauddin Quader Chowdhury had come to Dr Samih Uddin’s home at the city’s Chandanpura Ayesha Khatun Lane. We attacked him on his way back,” he told  bdnews24.com.

Both guerrillas would rue the mission’s failure but were happy to see the apex court’s verdict ending their agony.

“We were unsuccessful that day but we now want his swift execution,” Alam said.

He said he went to testify before the tribunal to prove wrong claims of Chowdhury’s lawyers that he was not in the country during the Liberation War.

“Three incidents proved his presence in the country,” he said.

Absar wanted the Goods Hill house to be made museum to remind people of the torture on freedom fighters.