Doctor tells tribunal he was pressured to alter Abu Sayed's autopsy report

During the anti-discrimination student movement last year, the doctor who conducted the autopsy on Abu Sayed – the first student killed by police gunfire – was repeatedly forced to change his autopsy report.

Rangpur Medical College's Assistant Professor and Head of the Forensic Department, Dr Rajibul Islam, testified before the International Crimes Tribunal that he was even offered foreign trips to Singapore or Thailand in exchange for preparing the autopsy report according to the government's wishes.

Today (24 August), during the seventh day of hearings against Sheikh Hasina and two others, Dr Rajibul gave this statement before the three-member International Crimes Tribunal-1, headed by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder.

Abu Sayed, a student of the English Department at Begum Rokeya University, was killed on 16 July last year during the quota reform movement.

In the case of crimes against humanity centring the movement, testimonies were recorded against the former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.

Dr Rajibul said that on 16 July he conducted Abu Sayed's autopsy. In his initial report, he noted the presence of multiple pellets in the body, which caused internal bleeding and led to death.

"I gave my opinion that the death was homicidal in nature. When I submitted the report to the investigating officer of Tajhat police station, he, after consultation with higher authorities, refused to accept it and asked me to prepare a new one."

The doctor said he resubmitted the same report with minor changes, but even his second and third reports were rejected.

Later, he was summoned to the office of Rangpur Medical College's vice-principal. Present there were Principal Dr Mahfuzur Rahman, City SB SP Siddiq, Rangpur Metropolitan Police DC Maruf, and Swachip's Rangpur Medical College branch president Dr Chandan, while DGFI, NSI, and other intelligence officers waited outside.

"They pressured me to prepare the autopsy report according to their instructions, intimidating and tempting me. They threatened action and cases against me, claiming they had intelligence reports. Then they tried to lure me, saying, 'Go travel to Singapore or Thailand.' I replied, 'I don't have a passport.' Then they said, 'Go to Cox's Bazar, take a two-week vacation.'"

They insisted the doctor state that Abu Sayed had died due to a head injury.

"I told the vice-principal, 'Sir, the whole world has seen on TV and in the media that Abu Sayed was shot dead. If I now write that he died due to a head injury, the entire world will despise the medical profession.'"

Dr Chandan, the Swachip leader, then said, "There's business going on with Abu Sayed's body. The leader (Sheikh Hasina) is concerned about this. Write the report as the police want. We will take care of your matter."

Ultimately, in his fourth report, Dr Rajibul kept the injury descriptions but omitted any reference to gunfire, while still noting pellets. His final opinion read: "Death was due to shock and haemorrhage as a result of the above-mentioned injuries, which were antemortem and homicidal in nature. Please consider the circumstantial evidence."

That fifth report was finally accepted. At one point, police even tried to destroy one of the reports, but he had kept it safe.

Recalling the autopsy of Abu Sayed, Dr Rajibul broke down in tears during his testimony.

He also submitted a pen drive containing a video clip of his interview with Al Jazeera, which was played in the tribunal.