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Genocide during uprising

3 more cases filed against Sheikh Hasina

FE REPORT | Friday, 16 August 2024



Three more cases were filed on Thursday against deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her cabinet members and police high-ups on charges of crimes against humanity, genocide and murder.
An application was filed with the International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity, while two others were filed with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court on charges of the murder.
Md Sanaullah, father of victim Md Mehedi, submitted a petition to the investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal.
Sheikh Hasina and eight other leaders of Awami League, Jubo League, Chhatra League and other front organisations were accused of committing crimes against humanity and genocide between July 15 and August 5 this year.
The other accused are former ministers Obaidul Quader and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former state ministers Zunaid Ahmed Palak and Mohammad Ali Arafat, former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Habibur Rahman, Additional IGP and DB Chief Harun-Or- Rashid and former RAB Director General Md Harun Ar Rashid.
According to the case statement, Md Mehedi, a student of Gazaria Institute of Science and Technology in Munshiganj, participated in the anti- quota student movement on July 20.
However, law enforcers fired bullets indiscriminately at the protesters. A bullet hit Mehedi who he died on the spot.
The same way, Police and RAB personnel and Awami League and Chhatra League activists killed at least 439 students and common people since July 15 to August 5.
Two more murder cases were filed with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court - one for killing an auto-rickshaw driver and another for killing a minor by firing from a helicopter.
After a short hearing, two judges separately asked Sher-e-Bangla Nagar and Mohammadpur police stations to register the statements as FIR (First Information Report).
One of the cases was filed over the killing of auto-rickshaw driver Sahabuddin at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area on August 5. He was killed in police firing at 7:15 pm on the day when he went out to buy food for his family.
Md Abul Kalam, father of the victim, filed an application to file a murder case against Sheikh Hasina and 10 others on Thursday, his lawyer Md Liton Mia told the FE.
After scrutinising the documents, the judge asked the officer-in-charge of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station to register the complaint as an FIR.
Former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader, former law minister Anisul Huq, Salman F Rahman, former foreign minister Hasan Mahmud, former state minister for information Mohammad A Arafat, former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, former DB chief Harun Or Rashid, former DMP commissioner Habibur Rahman and former DMP joint commissioner Biplob Kumar Sarkar were also made accused in the case.
According to the case statement, Sahabuddin immediately collapsed on the spot after being shot. Nearby people rescued him and took him to the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital (NINS) where doctors declared him dead.
Another murder case was filed over the death of fourth-grader Zobayed Hossain Emon in random firing from a helicopter at Mohammadpur in Dhaka on 19 July during the student movement.
Abdullah Abu Sayeed Bhuiyan, uncle of the victim, filed this case with Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhuri's court on Thursday.
The court accepted the statement of the plaintiff and ordered Mohammadpur Police Station to register the complaint as an FIR.
The other accused in the case are Obaidul Quader, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Anisul Huq, former LGRD minister Tajul Islam, former textile minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, former foreign affairs minister Hasan Mahmud, former state minister for information Mohammad Ali Arafat, former prime minister's adviser Salman F Rahman, ex-MP Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, Additional IGPs, former DB chief, former RAB DG, former DMP Commissioner, former joint commissioner Biplab Kumar Sarkar and members of the helicopter patrol team.
According to the case statement, RAB members fired indiscriminately from helicopters on the instructions of the accused on the students who were peacefully protesting on 19 July during the mass uprising. In the firing, Emon sustained bullet injuries in his head. He was quickly rescued and taken to Ibn Sina Hospital in Dhanmondi, where the duty doctors declared him dead.
The complaint also said many students and commoners were also killed in firing with sniper rifles from distant rooftops of various high-rise buildings in the area.

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