‘I was standing nearby and saw Abu Sayed get shot,’ witness tells ICT in case against Hasina
Rina Murmu, an anti-discrimination student movement activist from the same university, testified at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1.
An eyewitness of the barbaric killing of Abu Sayed, a student of Begum Rokeya University (BRU) testified today (6 August) as a prosecution witness against Sheikh Hasina, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, in a case of crimes against humanity.
Rina Murmu, an anti-discrimination student movement activist from the same university, testified at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1.
The witness said that she was standing nearby and saw Abu Sayed get shot. "I saw two policemen firing on him and later learned they were Amir (former sub-inspector of police) and Sujon Chandra (former constable)," she said, reports BSS.
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After her deposition, Advocate Amir Hossain, state-appointed counsel for ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, cross-examined Murmu.
Rina Murmu, at the end of her testimony, said she holds Sheikh Hasina, the university administration, leaders and activists of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League and members of the Rangpur Metropolitan Police, who were involved in firing on the students, responsible for the killing and demanded justice.
Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal are still at large, while former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who is now an approver of the case, was present in the dock.
After Murmu, NTV journalist A K M Moinul Haque submitted deposition as another prosecution witness.
The court adjourned the proceedings of the case till 17 August after submission of the two eyewitnesses.
The first tribunal, led by its Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, on 10 July, indicted the trio for their role in crimes against humanity committed during the July Uprising.
The ICT-1 on 17 June published a notice in two national dailies, asking Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to surrender to the court on 24 June.
The notice asked them to surrender to the court as per rules 31 of the International Crimes (Tribunal-1) Rules of Procedure 2010 (Amendment), 2025. Otherwise, their trial will be held in absentia as per section 10A of the ICT Act, 1973, the notice said.
On 1 June, the ICT-1 took the formal charge against the trio into cognisance and had set 16 June for further order.
Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam told the court on 16 June that Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal are yet to be arrested, and police learned from different sources that they are in India right now.
The prosecution in the formal charge brought five charges against Sheikh Hasina, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.
The investigation agency of the ICT on 12 May filed its probe report in the crimes against humanity and mass killing case.
