Abu Sayeed: Harlesdon, London, UK. Principal of Islamic College
Chowdhury Mueen Uddin:
Tottenham, London, UK. Housing Officer, Housing Co-op, Islington
According to War Crimes
File Documentary this is the same Mueen Uddin, who is associated with
Trustee of Muslim Aid UK.
Wife of the abducted Dhaka University professor Dr. Mofazzal Haider
Chowdhury and four other family members saw Mueen-Uddin's face while
Mueen-Uddin and his group were abducting Dr. Chowdhury. For a second,
Muen-Uddin brought down the mask he was covering to hide his face to
re-fix that and Mrs. Chowdhury and his family members CLEARLY saw and
still remember Mueen-Uddin's face!
Mueen Uddin in 1971
Muenuddin also helped in abducting journalist and colleague ANM Golam
Mustafa. According to Mr. Mustafa's brother Dulu Rahman, who spoke in this
ocumentary, told that after the abduction he rushed to his brother's
office the newspaper Daily Purbodesh, where Muenuddin also worked. The
Purbodesh authority knew well that Muenuddin was well connected to al-Badar
(death squad) and Pakistani Army! So, they called Muenuddin and asked to get
information of ANM Mustafa's
whereabouts! Muenuddin accompanying Dulu Rahman visited few Army and al-Badar
camps in search of Mr. Mustafa. Dulu Rahman also told to Channel 4
journalist that at that time it was absolutely impossible to get access to
those type of Army and al-Badr camps but Muenuddin did not only have
easy
access to those high security premises, the guards and gate keepers
at those locations
saluted Muenuddin as he entered, which indicates Muenuddin's Commanding
Officer sort of role in al-Badr force!
The day before of Mustafa's abduction Muenuddin had quarrel with Mustafa
and threatened him for dire consequences! Eye witness of that incident was
boss of Muenuddin and ANM Mustafa in daily Purbodesh Journalist Atiqor
Rahman. Mr. Atiq told that he understood Muenuddin's attachment with al-Badr from an event: Some time in June 1971 Muenuddin himself wrote a news
item of the formation of
al-Badar & Al Shams Forces and that news item was ONLY published in Daily
Purbodesh, where Muenuddin himself worked! No other Pakistani news paper
got or knew about anything of that news. It indicates he was the insider
of al-Badr from it's inception!
Journalists Ataus Samad and Enaetullah Khan (both are still alive) both
were residing in the same building from where Mr. Nazmul Hoque was
abducted on 10th December night. The al-Badr operation for killing the
Bengali Intellectuals began on 10th December after midnight. Journalist Serajuddin Hossain and
Nazmul Hoque were the first pick of that operation. Ataus Samad and
Enayetullah Khan heard their colleague Nazmul's
voice "Help Me! - Save Me!" at the time of his abduction. Two other tenants
of that building interviewed in this documentary
categorically said unmasked Muenuddin came to their apartments and asked
for Ataus Samad. These two eye witnesses saw Muenuddin to abduct Nazmul and
looking for others in the same building. Ataus Samad and Enayetulla escaped
the abduction. Another one escaped Muenuddin's prey was his boss at Daily
Purbodesh, journalist Atiqur Rahman, who told channel 4 journalists
that the connection of Muenuddin to al-Badr was pretty much evident in the
following event: Muenuddin asked Mr. Rahman about his address on the day
before Mustafa's abduction but Mr. Rahman's intuition warned him not to
give the correct address to him, so, he lied to him and gave him a fake
address. After the liberation war the documents found from al-Badr camps
showed al-Badrs
enlisted Mr. Rahman's fake address in their books, which was given ONLY
to Muenuddin! Mr. Rahman categorically told that he did not give any one
else other than Muenuddin that fake address of him and that was found in
al-Badr's books, which indicates Munuddin's association with al-Badr!
Mueen Uddin: the treasurer of Muslim Aid
TV programme: Dispatches
In the wake of the Channel 4 TV programme Dispatches (see BMMS for April 1995), Bangladeshi groups in the UK are calling for the alleged war crimes to be investigated. The Bangladesh Anti-War Criminal Committee, the Bangladesh Youth Movement and the Shapla Youth Force are urging the Scotland Yard War Crimes Unit to investigate the three men named in the programme (Asian Age 10.05.95).
A public meeting was held in the East End to which the programme makers were invited to rebut allegations of inaccurate reporting. The programme researcher told the meeting, "We are not saying that these men are guilty of war crimes. It is up to the British Government to look at the evidence and take action under the 1957 Geneva Convention... It is up to the Bengali community to sign petitions and send them to the Home Office, [and] Scotland Yard's War Crimes Squad to voice their demands. The Bengali community must not let this issue die with the programme" (Daily Jang 12.05.95). The Bangladeshi community in London are reported to be divided over the issue and a main focus of concern is why these events should have been given publicity 24 years after they took place. The Bangladeshi High Commission in London was reported to be non-committal concerning the events which are covered by a general amnesty in Bangladesh. The only place where proceedings are in any way likely to be begun is the United Kingdom.
One of the men named in the programme, Chowdhury Mueen Uddin, has been
suspended from his job as a housing officer with a London housing
association (Q News 19.05.95). The same report says that it has been
claimed that "the accusations are part of a plot by secular Bengalis aimed
at discrediting the growing Islamic Movement in Bangladesh". "The upshot
of all this is to cast a cloud over the legitimate activities of Muslim
individuals and organisations in Britain as unsavoury, loathsome and even
criminal", according to Iqbal Sacranie of the UK Action Committee on
Islamic Affairs. There is concern in the Bangladeshi community about the
motives of the programme makers given that little has been said about
atrocities committed against Muslims in Bosnia and Chechnya and by the
government of Israel against Palestinians. Apparently, "a spokesman from
Scotland Yard told Q News that there is no law that currently applies
directly to crimes of the nature committed in Bangladesh. The Genocide Act
is strictly limited to World War II. Any investigation into claims made by
the Dispatches programme will be at the discretion of the Home Office".
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets has cancelled meetings scheduled to
take place on premises owned by them (East London Advertiser 18.05.95)
where the organisers or speakers are associated with the three men named
in the programme. The two meetings which have been cancelled were
organised by Dawatul Islam and the Islamic Forum Europe. The reason given
by the council was that there might be a "possible breach of the peace" (Q
News 02.06.95). [BMMS May 1995 Vol. III, No. 5, p. 9]
Lutfur Rahman: Balsall Green, Birmingham, UK. Imam of a mosque at Bordesley Green Islamic Center