http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=209893
Former Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Ghulam Azam in a rejoinder has protested a news item in the November 2 issue of The Daily Star that said he had been involved in planning the March 25, 1971 crackdown against civilians.
He said the source of the report was a member of the prosecution team dealing with war crimes cases.
“In that news, there are a number of allegations against me. All these allegations are baseless, concocted and manufactured. The prosecution team shall never be able to produce any evidence in favour of any of those allegations,” the rejoinder said.
“As regards to my meeting with General Tikka Khan, the prosecution team has no direct knowledge. Their statement in this regard is sheer conjecture. It is true that I along with three other party leaders went to see the General. The purpose was purely to prevent further army atrocities and seek their assistance to help the victims, in absence of people's representatives who were in hiding at that time,” Ghulam Azam said.
The ex-Jamaat chief enclosed photocopies of four pages of his autobiography Jibone Ja Dekhlam (What I Have Seen in My Life).
In the book, he said Farid Ahmed, the then secretary general of Nezam-e-Islami, on April 3, 1971, came to discuss “the situation” with him.
“He [Farid] informed me that he had already had a meeting on the previous night with Mr Nurul Amin of Pakistan Democratic Party and Mr Khawaja Khairuddin of Muslim League and they all decided to go to General Tikka Khan to convince him that military actions and atrocities must stop to prevent repercussion amongst the people,” he said.
He said the meeting was scheduled at the General's office, on April 4 at 10:00am. “I was keen to ask why they resorted to military means to keep
On April 4, they all assembled at Nurul Amin's house and started for the general's cantonment office, he said.
“At this time, although I was the youngest, I started, 'General, if the election results were duly honoured, law and order would have been fine'. He instantly replied, 'Tell that to the President. I am unable to say anything on political matters'. I asked him, 'Was it essential to burn properties worth crores of taka for restoration of law and order situation?' He tried to justify their atrocities showing the activities of unruly mob during the preceding days.”
__._,_.___
