Hasina was nucleus of all crimes during July uprising: ICT Chief Prosecutor Tajul

Sheikh Hasina, the ousted prime minister, was the central figure behind the crimes committed during last year's July mass uprising, including killings and torture, the chief prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) said today.

"She [Sheikh Hasina] was prime minister at the time, chief of the executive body, president of the then ruling Awami League and leader of the 14-party alliance. She was in the centre of all the power. She used to take all the important decisions as an autocratic ruler.

"She was the nucleus of all crimes against humanity committed during the uprising," Mohammad Tajul Islam said during his opening statement submitted in the crimes against humanity case against Sheikh Hasina, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun at the ICT 1.

Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam presented the opening statement in the absence of the accused, with Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman also in attendance.

Justice Golam Mortuza Majumder led the three-member tribunal panel.

"The sole objective of the atrocities committed during the uprising was to keep Sheikh Hasina in power," Tajul told the court. "The other accused believed their safety and rewards were tied to her continued rule."

During his statement, Tajul outlined the case timeline, noting that the investigation began on 16 August last year. The report was submitted on 12 May, with the tribunal taking the case under consideration on 1 June and formally framing charges on 10 July.

He said the prosecution would produce eye witnesses, digital records, proof of government communication and forensic reports to prove the crimes against the accused.

He read out a transcript of a telephonic conversation between Sheikh Hasina and her nephew, the then Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, where Hasina was heard saying she had already ordered the use of lethal force and firing from helicopters against the protesting crowd, reports BSS.

Terming accused Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal a member of the so-called "Gang of Four", Tajul Islam said all decisions related to suppressing the mass uprising were taken during meetings of a "core committee" held at Kamal's Dhanmondi residence.

Mamun sighs, tears up in tribunal

Today, former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al‑Mamun appeared before the tribunal as a state witness in the case. This marks the first time he has appeared in court in this new role. Unlike his previous court appearances, he was not seen wearing handcuffs or a protective helmet.

The former IGP filed a petition to become a state witness, which was formally accepted by the ICT, on the condition that he discloses the full truth surrounding the alleged events. 

Regarding the IGP, Tajul said, "Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who was the inspector general of police at the time, was a close associate of home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. He directly commanded the law enforcement agencies and, along with Kamal, was often present at protest sites to oversee whether the orders to open fire on unarmed students and civilians were being carried out."

The prosecution's opening statement was followed by the testimony of the first witness against Hasina, Khokon Chandra Barman, in the case.

Towards the end of the session, a video was shown in court displaying the brutal scenes of the uprising. One clip showed how Khokon was shot in front of Jatrabari Police Station, sustaining a devastating facial injury that shattered parts of his jawbone.

The graphic footage visibly moved Mamun, who stood and sighed audibly, later seen wiping tears from his eyes.

Toby Cadman, special counsel to the chief prosecutor and joint head of London-based law firm Guernica 37, and Amir Hossain, a state-appointed lawyer representing the two fugitive accused, were also present during the session.