Yousuf Harun Bhuiyan, the managing director of Hamdard Laboratories for 33 years, is accused by locals in Raipur, Laxipur of being a collaborator of the Pakistan Army in 1971. He is identified by many for carrying out widespread looting, human rights violations, rape and persecution.
Local freedom fighters claim that no case of crimes against humanity was ever lodged against him.
Md. Ismail, a freedom fighter, claims that Yousuf formed a 250 member strong Razakar force and unleashed a reign of terror.
Reportedly, Yousuf came to Dhaka five months after liberation and changed his appearance, outlook and allegiance.
It’s believed that Yousuf went into hiding from November 1971 till March 1972 and then came out to go back to a normal life.
He reportedly joined Hamdard Laboratories (Waqf) in Gulisthan as a counter salesman for a salary of Tk. 170.
His life changed fast and under the patronage of Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and was appointed MD of Hamdard in 1986. There are accusations that he controls Hamdard like personal property and has appointed three of his children to important posts.
Since there are accusations of looting, the ministry of religion formed a probe committee on 23 April, this year. The Anti Corruption Commission, ACC, has begun an investigation on the illegal assets of Yousuf Harun.
Freedom fighter, Md. Ismail, says: “On Sept 5, 1971, a freedom fighter ABM Wahidullah was taken prisoner by Yousuf Harun and cohorts; after inhuman torture in which Wahid did not reveal any information about the position of freedom fighters, they slaughtered him.”
Delwar Hossain Lokman, brother of another slain freedom fighter, said that his brother, who worked as a courier for the freedom fighters, had his stomach slit by Yousuf Harun and accomplices and then shot. Many at Hamdard say that while Jamaat leader Mir Kashem Ali was a member of the Hamdard trustee board, Yousuf Harun was given the special privilege.
Complaints about the mass killing in Raipur involving Yousuf Harun have been lodged at the International Crimes Tribunal and a probe has begun on 8 September.