Charges against Sayedee

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 indicted Jamaat-e-Islami leader for 20 war crimes charges. The prosecution had proposed 31.

A former MP, Sayedee is also an executive council member of his party.

His 20 charges include murder, rapes, loot and arson including the killing of Faizur Rahman Ahmed, father of the noted writer Humayun Ahmed.

Charge 1

The indictment order states that on May 4, 1971 20 people, all of them ‘unnamed civilians’, were shot dead by the Pakistani Army upon information from a ‘group of individuals’ that included Sayedee who referred as a peace committee member. This took place at the Madhya Masimpur bus stand under Pirojpur Sadar Police Station. The 20 people, according to the prosecution, had sided with the liberation forces. Sayedee is charged with their murder.

Charge 2

On the same day, Sayedee and his accomplices accompanied by Pakistani Army went to Masimpur Hindu Para under Pirozpur Sadar Police Station and looted Hindu households and torched. When the victims began to flee Sayedee and his accomplices opened fire “indiscriminately pursuant to pre-arranged plan and thereby killed 13 (thirteen) civilians, namely Sarat Chandra Mondol, Bijoy Mistri, Opendranath, Jogendranath Mistri, Surendra Nath Mistri, Motilal Mistri, Jogeshwar Mondol, Suresh Mondol and 5 other unidentified civilians”. Sayedee is charged with genocide and persecution.

Charge 3

Again on that day in the same area, Sayedee led Pakistani troops and “looted goods from the houses of Monindra Nath Mistri and Suresh Chandra Mondol and completely destroyed their houses by setting fire.” Sayedee is also alleged to have caused “large scale destruction by setting fire on the road side houses of villages namely Kalibari, Masimpur, Palpara, Sikarpur, Razarhat, Kukarpara, Dumur Tola, Kalamtola, Nawabpur, Alamkuthi, Dhukigathi, Parerha and Chinrakhali”. He is charged with persecution.

Charge 4

Again on May 4, Sayedee and his accomplices accompanied with Pakistani Army surrounded the Hindu Para located in front of Dhopa Bari and behind the LGED Building under Pirozpur Sadar Police Station. They opened fire indiscriminately on the unnamed Hindu civilians and killed Debendra Nath Mondol, Jogendranath Mondol, Pulin Behari and Mukunda Bala. Sayedee is charged with genocide.

Charge 5

The next day Sayedee allegedly had Pirojpur Deputy Magistrate Saif Mizanur Rahman, a pro-liberation organiser, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Faizur Rahman Ahmed and acting Sub divisional officer Abdur Razzak arrested and brought to the bank of Baleshwar river. Sayedee was present at the spot. He is charged with abetting abduction and murder.

Charge 6

Two days later on May 7 Sayedee led a team of the local Peace Committee to receive Pakistani troops at Parerhat Bazar and then “identified the houses and shops of the people belonging to Awami Legue, Hindu Community and supporters of the Liberation War”. These places were then looted and yielded handsome booty. Sayedee is charged with persecution.

Charge 7

The next day on May 8 around 1.30pm Sayedee and a band of armed accomplices accompanied by Pakistani Army identified Nurul Islam Khan as an Awami League leader and his son Shahidul Islam Selim as a freedom-fighter. Nurul Islam was handed over to Pakistani Army who tortured him and after looting the house, it was torched. Sayedee is charged with abetting torture and persecution.

Charge 8

Later that day, around 3pm Sayedee, his accomplices and Pakistani troops raided the house of Manik Posari of Chitholia village and set fire to five houses at Sayedee’s instance. The band of men caught Manik’s brother Mafizuddin and one Ibrahim Kutti from there. On their way back Sayedee is said to have instigated Pakistani soldiers to kill Ibrahim Kutti. He was shot dead and his body dumped into the river. Mafiz was taken to an army camp and tortured. Thereafter, Sayedee and others set fire to Hindu houses at Parerhat causing huge devastation. Sayedee is charged with abduction, murder and persecution.

Charge 9

On Jun 6, 1971 around 9am, Sayedee allegedly led armed associates, accompanied with Pakistani Army, and raided the house of Abdul Halim Babul at Nalbunia village. The house was then burnt to ashes for which Sayedee is charged with persecution.

Charge 10

An hour later the same day the party raided a Hindu community of Umedpur village and burnt 25 houses “including houses of Chitta Ranjan Talukder, Jahar Talukder, Horen Tagore Anil Mondol, Bisabali, Sukabali, Satish Bala and others”. At one stage Bisabali was tied to a coconut tree and at Sayedee’s insistence Bisabali was shot to dead by an accomplice. Sayedee is charged with persecution and murder for the incident.

Charge 11

Then Sayedee led a team of Peace Committee members, along with Pakistani forces, and raided the houses of freedom fighter Mahbubul Alam Howlader at Tengrakhali village and detained his elder brother Abdul Mazid Howlader and tortured him. The house was then looted and damaged. For his participation Sayedee is charged with persecution torture.

Charge 12

During the Liberation War, Sayedee led an armed group of 15/20 armed men into a Hindu community of Parerhat and captured 14 Hindus namely Horolal Malakar, Aoro Kumer Mirza, Taronikanta Sikder, Nando Kumer Sikder and others. They were tied and dragged to Pirojpur and handed them over to Pakistani Military where they were killed and bodies were thrown into the river. Sayedee is charged with genocide for this act.

Charge 13

About a few months after the Liberation War had begun, Sayedee led members of Peace Committee, accompanied by the Pakistani Army, and raided the house of Azhar Ali at Nalbunia. They party caught and tortured Azhar Ali and his son Shaheb Ali. Thereafter, Sayedee abducted Shaheb Ali who was eventually taken to Pirojpur, where he was murdered and his dumped body in the river. Sayedee is charged with murder, torture, and abduction.

Charge 14

Sayedee led a gang of 50/60 Razakars one morning and attacked the Hindu Para of Hoglabunia village. While many fled the scene at the sight of the raiding party, Shefali Gharami, wife of Modhu Sudan Gharami could not. Some Razakar men raped the woman but Sayedee did not prevent them despite being their leader. The houses were then torched. Sayedee is charged with persecution and rape.
 

Charge 15

Towards the end of the Liberation War, Sayedee led a group of 15-20 Razakars peace Committee members, who had abducted ten Hindus including Tarani Shikder, Nirmal Shikder, Shyamakanta Shikder, Banikanta Shikder, Haralal Shikder, Prakash Shikder. They were handed over to the Pakistani army. They were later killed and dumped in the river.

Charge 16

During the war in 1971, Sayedee led a group of 10-12 armed Razakars and peace Committee members and surrounded the house of Gouranga Saha of Parerhat. Subsequently Sayedee and others abducted Gouranga’s three sisters and handed them to the local army camp where they were confined and raped for three days. Sayedee is charged with abduction, confinement and rape.
 

Charge 17
 

During the Liberation War, Sayedee and other armed Razakars confined Bipod Shaha’s daughter Vanu Shaha at his house at Parerhat and regularly raped her. Sayedee is charged with rape for the act.
 

Charge 18
 

Sayedee is alleged to have been instrumental for the arrest and murder of Vagirothi who used to work at a Pakistani army camp and acted as an informer for freedom fighters. She was dragged around Pirojpur by a vehicle and then shot dead at the bank of Baleshwar river and her body dumped into it. Sayedee is charged with abetment of torture and murder.

Charge 19

Beginning from Mar 26, 1971 till Dec 16 of the same throughout the duration of the Liberation War, Sayedee being a Razakar, exercised his influence over Hindus and converted many of them forcibly to Islam. One of them is Modhusudan Gharami, husband of Shefali who was raped by Sayedee’s associates. Sayedee is charged with ‘inhuman act’ as crimes against humanity, but the prosecution insisted during closing arguments that his also amounted to ‘genocide’ since there was an intent to destroy a certain community.

Charge 20

One day in end-November, 1971, Sayedee led 10-12 armed Razakar men and attacked the houses of Talukdar Bari in Indurkani village and detained 85 persons and looted their belongings after he had come to learn that thousands were trying to flee to India. goods therefrom. They were dragged to the local Razakar camp. Except 10-12 persons, the rest were released in exchange for bribes. The men were tortured and the women raped by Pakistani troops at the camp. Sayedee is charged with abduction, torture and abetment of rape.