As the special tribunal is set to deliver today the verdict in war crimes case against Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, police have tightened security in his home ground Raozan of Chittagong. In this photo, police vehicles patrol a road in Gahira area yesterday.
They are still haunted by the memories of atrocities the Pakistani army committed with the help of Salauddin Quader Chowdhury during the Liberation War in 1971.
As the news spread yesterday morning that a special tribunal will deliver verdict in the war crimes case against Salauddin, anxiety again grips the family members of the victims and those who testified against him.
Even forty-two years after the Independence, people of Hindu families of Jagatmallapara and Kundeswary villages of Gahira and Unasatturpara of Pahartali union under Raozan still fear backlash from the war crimes accused.
Pakistan soldiers aided by local collaborators killed 32 Hindus, including seven of a family, at Jagatmallapara on April 13, 1971, and 79 Hindus at Unasatturpara the same day, witnesses told war crimes investigators.
They also killed famous philanthropist Natun Chandra Singha, founder of herbal medicine factory Kundeshwari Oushadhalaya, at his home.
It was alleged that Salauddin and his band of Razakars led the Pakistani army to the Kundeshwari and other two areas.
Salauddin himself killed Natun Chandra.
Amid a sense of insecurity, the people of the areas were unwilling to say anything about the international crime tribunal’s trial against Quader or today’s verdict or anything about the incident on April 13, 1971.
Though the law enforcers claimed to have tightened security ahead of the verdict, locals alleged police for only one time visited the areas yesterday morning.
Merry Chowdhury, wife of Asish Chowdhury who gave deposition against Salauddin Quader before the tribunal, kept mum when this correspondent wanted to know her reaction.
Asish, who lost his father and brother on the black day in 1971, was contacted at his workplace Kundeshwari Oushadhalaya. He also refused to talk.
Mery’s neighbour Sreepal Sarkar said villagers started feeling insecure as the news about the verdict announcement came in the morning.
However, Prafulla Ranjan Singha, son of Natun, expressed his satisfaction over the trial done after so many years.
Officer-in-Charge Enamul Hoque of Raozan Police Station said law enforcers remained alert in the areas to avoid any untoward situation and teams were on patrol at the upazila.
Source: The Daily Star
