From NYT archives: A journalist linked to murder of Bengalis

Chowdhury Mueenuddin, a well-liked, intelligent young man who worked at a Bengali-language newspaper, often received calls from a right-wing Muslim political leader. However, recent investigations have revealed a darker side to this seemingly ordinary individual.

Mueenuddin has been identified as the leader of Al-Badar, a secretive, paramilitary organisation of radical Muslims responsible for the brutal murder of hundreds of prominent Bengali intellectuals, including professors, doctors, lawyers, and journalists.

In the final days of the war, which ended on 16 December, Al-Badar members, dressed in black sweaters and khaki pants, rounded up their victims. The group's objective, as confessed by captured members, was to eliminate all Bengali intellectuals who supported independence from Pakistan and the establishment of a secular, non-Muslim state.

Had the war continued, many Bengalis believe that Al-Badar would have succeeded in their mission. Over 150 bodies, many with mutilated fingers or fingernails, were discovered in a brickyard, and hundreds more are suspected to be buried in mass graves in nearby fields.

Surprisingly, Al-Badar was composed of Bengalis, not the despised West Pakistanis or Bihari immigrants who had long oppressed the Bengali majority.

Ehtesham Chowdhury, the editor of the newspaper where Mueenuddin worked, expressed deep sorrow and disbelief. His brother was abducted and presumed killed by Al-Badar, and he himself narrowly escaped capture by staying late at the office.

Overwhelmed by the horrors he witnessed, Chowdhury lamented, "When I think about what has happened, my legs buckle. It would have been better if these people had just plowed us under."

Evidence suggests that Al-Badar was equipped and directed by a specific group of Pakistani Army officers. Cryptic references to Al-Badar were found among the papers of Major General Rao Farman Ali, the military adviser to the Governor of East Pakistan. 

One note mentioned "Captain Tahir, vehicle for Al-Badar," linking him to the organisation. Captain Tahir is believed to have commanded the razakars, a Bihari militia used by the Pakistani Army to terrorise Bengalis. Another note referred to "Nizamuddin, motivated news," indicating a target for elimination. 

Nizamuddin Ahmed, a Bengali journalist known for his anti-Pakistani views, was kidnapped days before the war's end.

The executioners operated with precision and secrecy. They rounded up victims at night during curfew, never identifying themselves. The killings took place in a remote, heavily guarded location. Farmers near the Dacca brickyard witnessed men in black sweaters and khaki pants escorting countless bound and blindfolded prisoners in the final days of the war.

A few survivors have shared their harrowing experiences. Professor Mohammed Rauf was abducted from his home by armed men. Sri Chandpal, a clerk, was imprisoned with the professor and other intellectuals. He overheard discussions about Al-Badar and the need to kill Bengalis. 

The prisoners were subjected to inhumane conditions, deprived of food and water, and forced to endure the screams of those being tortured. Both Chandpal and Makbul Hossain, a college janitor, confirmed the mass imprisonment and the constant sounds of suffering emanating from the rooms.

"They brought in hundreds of people, all nicely dressed and tied up. We could hear screaming all the time from the rooms," the janitor said.

The name "Al-Badar" is derived from a significant battle fought by Prophet Muhammad in 624 near Medina. His outnumbered troops, known as Al-Badar, displayed great valor.

A captured Al-Badar member, currently detained in Dacca jail, has implicated Chowdhury Mueenuddin as the organization's mastermind. 

A diary belonging to Mueenuddin's roommate, containing a list of Al-Badar members and their financial contributions, has been discovered. The two men resided next to the Dacca headquarters of Jamaat-i-Islami, a right-wing Muslim political party that participated in the National Assembly elections but garnered less than 1% of the vote.

Al-Badar is believed to be the operational arm of Jamaat-i-Islami, meticulously organised after the Pakistani crackdown in March.

Mueenuddin was last seen on 13 December after a dispute with a fellow reporter at Purbodesh. Hours later, that reporter was abducted by Al-Badar.

Atiqur Rahman, another reporter from Purbodesh, has initiated a search for Mueenuddin. Rahman vowed, "We will find him. We will find him, or there can be no rest for any of us."