Thursday, July 5, 2012

15 May 2012: Chowdhury 1st witness cross exam day 2

The tribunal started with the second day of cross examination of Professor Anissussaman by the defense lawyer Ahsanul Haque following on from the previous day.
Defence: Do you have any personal relationship with the accused?
Witness: No

Defence: Did you read the newspapers before and after the liberation war on a regular basis?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: There were three Muslim Leagues before the liberation of Bangladesh. Those were: Council Muslim League, Convention Muslim League and Kaiyum Muslim League.

Witness: Yes.

Defence: Who was the head of East Pakistan Convention Muslim League?

Witness: Mr. Fazlul Quader Chowdhury.

Defence: Then who was the head of Pakistan Convention Muslim League?

Witness: I can’t remember.

Defence: Who were the head of Convention, Council and Kaiyum Muslim League in Chittagong?

Witness: I don’t know.

Defence: Who was the Awami League Chief in Pakistan then?

Witness: Johur Ahmed Chowdhury.

Defence: Who was the Jamat leader of Chittagong division?

Witness: I don’t know.

Defence: There were three kinds of scholars in Bangladesh- Islamic scholar, western scholar and secular scholar. In which group you do fall in?

Witness: I’ve studied both in Bangladesh and abroad. And ideologically I think myself as a secular liberal person.

Defence: You have achieved your PhD degree when you were 25 years old, from the University of Dhaka.

Witness: Yes.

Defence: You have another honorary Doctorate degree?

Witness: Yes it was from Kolkata Robindrabharoti University. I can’t remember the year exactly. But most probably it was achieved on 1995.

Defence: What was the heading of your thesis?

Witness: It was titled as, ‘The philosophy of Bangali Muslim on Bangali literature during the English regime (1757-1918)’.

Defence: If anyone would like to go abroad then he has to fill up two cards- embarkation and disembarkation card

Witness: Yes.

Defence: How many awards have you achieved from India?

Witness: I’ve achieved two awards from Asiatic Society (in 2011 and 2012), one award from Kolkata University (2009) and received another award titled Anondo Award (1990).

Defence: Do you know Doctor Mahfujur Rahman of Chittagong?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: Do you know his book written on the liberation war?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: Could you please provide us the amendment certificate from the Home Ministry about your birthplace?

Witness: Yes but right now I don’t hold those documents with me at this tribunal.

Defence: The book of Doctor Mahfujur Rahman provides a list of the people who took part in the liberation war.

Witness: Yes. But it was from the point of view of the writer.

Defence: Literacy Criticism is a part of literature is it?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: Whether the book was written on the platform of war?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: Whether the writer was a freedom fighter?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: When the liberation war started the East Pakistan Rifles took control of Chittagong University.

Witness: Yes the EPR came there at the residential zone of the University on 26th March, 1971.

Defence: Do you know anything about the container of Molotov cocktail provided by Kundeshwari?

Witness: I’ve heard that after the historical speech of bangabandhu on 7th March, 1971, the teacher and others had attempted to prepare Molotov cocktail.

Defence: Do you know whether the bottles of the Molotov cocktail which were made of glasse were being provided from the Kundeshwari Medicine Centre?

Witness: Yes, I’ve heard.

Defence: Have you met Mr. late President Ziaur Rahman?

Witness: Yes, when he was the Major of Brahmanbaria and when I was there at Ramgor (10-25 April, 1971), I met him.

Defence: Who were there with you, when you met him?

Witness: Me along with the Manager of Ramgor Tea Estate Abdul Awal were there. Other than that, on several occassions there were Major Shams, Captain Aftab, Dr. AR Mollik and other teachers of the Chittagong University, when I had met him other occasions.

Defence: When you went to Kundeshwari, where did you left your car?

Witness: I drove my car to the place.

Defence: Did you know place of the house of Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury? But I knew it was situated nearby the Kundeswari Medicine Centre.

Witness: Yes

Defence: How many houses were there nearto the Kundeswari Medicine Centre?

Witness: I don’t know actually.

Defence: In our country fresh passports are being provided every and 10 years. So in that case you might have renewed your passport for 8 times.

Witness: In 1955 I obtained a special passport to enter India. I’ve not renewed that passport. In 1964 I applied for International Passport and I’ve got a restricted Passport for 2 years which was only provided for travelling in the countries near USA zones. After the expiry of the passport in 1966, I didn’t apply for a fresh passport during the Pakistan period.

Defence: Did you surrender the expired passports?

Witness: When I obtained the restricted International Passport then I surrendered the Passport for India. And in 1971 my house at the residential area of Chittagong University was looted. My expired passport was looted along with other items in my house.

Defence: Did you mention the matter of looting to the Investigation Officer?

Witness: The question had not been raised then.

Defence: Did you file any General Diary about your lost passport?

Witness: No. After getting back to Bangladesh when I applied for another passport in1973, I’ve declared about the expired lost passport.

Defence: Was all of your information the same between the period of 1955 to 1997.

Witness: Yes.

Defence: Whether the place of your birth that was mentioned was the same

Witness: Yes.

Defence: During the period of 26th March to 16th December, 1971 the Chittagong area was under the supervision of Pakistan Administration?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: Have you read the following books- “Witness to Surrender”, “Legacy of Blood”?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: Whether there was anyone representing Mujibnagar Government during the surrender session of General Niyaji?

Witness: Group Captain AK Khondker was there to represent Bangladesh Government.

Defence: After the liberation, whether you have any discussion with Mr. Tajuddin Ahmed about the war crimes?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: You became refugee two times in your life- on 1947 and 1971.

Witness: Yes, it might be said.

Defence: Did you have any birth certificate?

Witness: No I didn’t have any birth certificate, but my father obtained a migration certificate for all of us.

Defence: East Pakistan was part of Islamic republic of Pakistan. At time what was the name of India?

Witness: Republic of India.

Defence: Pakistan was a Muslim country, whereas India was a secular country.

Witness: Pakistan was a Muslim majority country and for the time being it became Islamic Republic.

Defence: Did you ever plan to return India ever?

Witness: Never ever.

Defence: It is apparent from what you sayd that You Mr. Anisuzzaman was perfectly happy as a citizen of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Witness: Yes.

Defence: In 1946 you were in Kalkata?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: In 1947 you’ve shifted to East Pakistan by your own choice?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: Did you ever do Holy Hazz in your life?

Witness: No.

Defence: Faqrul Quader Chowdhury was the speaker of the Pakistan and was an acting president also.

Witness: Yes.

Defence: In 1964 Faqrul Quader Chowdhury signed the Chittagong University Ordinance against the will of the Government.

Witness: Chittagong University is a public University established by the Government. I don’t know whether he signed the ordinance or not but I know he has a contribution towards establishing the University.

Defence: What is the distance between the Ramgor Border and the University?

Witness: I don’t know it actually.

Defence: Did you ever visit the Ramgor Police Station?

Witness: When I was there at Ramgor, I visited the police station on several occasions. But I don’t know the name of the Officer in Charge of the Station. 
The Court was adjourned till 2pm

The tribunal then continued with the Sayedee case and the cross examination of the investigation officer.

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