Raozan uneasy, tense They are still haunted by memories of the atrocities the Pakistani army committed with the help of Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury during the Liberation War in 1971. As the news spread in Raozan yesterday morning that a special tribunal would deliver verdict in the war crimes case against Salahuddin, anxiety again gripped the victim families and those who testified against him. Even forty-two years after independence, Hindu families in Jagatmallapara and Kundeshwary villages of Gahira and Unasatturpara of Pahartali union still fear a backlash from the war crimes accused. On April 13, 1971, Pakistani soldiers aided by local collaborators killed 32 Hindus, including seven of a family, at Jagatmallapara and 79 Hindus at Unosatturpara, witnesses told war crimes investigators. They also killed noted philanthropist Natun Chandra Singha, founder of the herbal medicine factory Kundeshwari Oushadhalaya, at his home. It was alleged that Salahuddin along with his band of Razakars led the Pakistan army to Kundeshwari and other two areas. He himself killed Natun Chandra. Amid a sense of insecurity, locals were unwilling to say anything about the war crimes trial against him, today’s verdict or the April 13 mass killing. Though the law enforcers claimed to have tightened security ahead of the verdict, locals allege that police visited the areas only once yesterday morning. Merry Chowdhury, wife of Asish Chowdhury who deposed against Salahuddin Quader before the tribunal, kept his silence when this correspondent wanted to know of her reaction. Asish, who lost his father and brother on the black day in 1971, was contacted at his workplace Kundeshwari Oushadhalaya. He too refused to talk. Merry’s neighbour Sreepal Sarkar said the villagers had started feeling insecure as news about the imminent verdict came in the morning. However, Prafulla Ranjan Singha, son of Natun, expressed his satisfaction over the trial undertaken after so many years. Officer-in-Charge Enamul Hoque of Raozan Police Station said law enforcers were on patrol in the upazila.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Oct 2013 03:55:48 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015