Salauddin Quader’s family speaks to media at 1971 Goods Hill torture chamber

Salauddin Quader Chowdhury’s family has held a press conference at Chittagong's Goods Hills house where, his trial revealed, the executed leader had set up a torture chamber in 1971.

His family claimed Chowdhury, executed early on Sunday morning for war crimes, had wished to be buried at Rangunia instead of his own village Gahira in Raujan.
 
Chowdhury’s son Hummam Quader Chowdhury said the government did not let that happen. 
 
He said his father had been moved by the ‘affection of the people of Rangunia’, prompting him to chose the place for his burial. 
 
Parliament Secretariat records show Chowdhury was born on Mar 13, 1949 in Gahira and grew up in Chittagong as well.
  
He had begun his political career in the Muslim League but later joined the Jatiya Party and NDP, and subsequently the BNP. 
 
Although his family spoke of Rangunia’s ‘affection’ for him, Chowdhury had been thrice elected to Parliament from Raujan and twice from Rangunia, and once from Fatikchharhi.  
 

In 1979, he was elected as a Muslim League candidate, in 1986 as a Jatiya Party candidate, and as a nominee of his own party, the NDP, in 1991.

In 1996 and 2001 he was elected the Rangunia MP on a BJP ticket. In 2008, he had lost in Rangunia but won from Fatikchharhi, the other constituency he had contested from.

His widow Farhat Quader Chowdhury and brother Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury were present at the press conference. 

Chowdhury’s son said his father had categorically denied having sought the president’s mercy when he had been told about the news of its rejection appearing in media.  

His wife claimed Chowdhury had not filed a mercy petition but one in which he had appealed to declare his trial a farce.

“We had gone to the president with the reports of condemnation regarding this trial published in newspapers across the world and also with the appeal that this trial be declared a ‘mistrial’ and that a retrial be ordered.”

This decision had been jointly taken by the family and the party, said Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury.

Other members of the family were also present at the media call.