July protesters oppose ex-IGP Mamun’s sentence, seek verdict review
‘We will appeal to the higher court. He must receive at least life imprisonment,’ says Mugdho’s brother, Snigdho
Relatives of July Uprising victims, including the DUCSU vice-president and injured protesters, expressed dissatisfaction over the five-year prison sentence handed to former inspector general of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.
They called for the International Crimes Tribunal-1 to review the ruling delivered today.
The three-member panel of ICT-1, led by Justice Golam Mortuza Mazumder, sentenced ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death for crimes against humanity committed during last year's July–August uprising. Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who became a state witness, received a five-year term.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
In his reaction, Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdho, the twin brother of July martyr Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho, said the families agreed with the death sentences for Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal but rejected Mamun's verdict.
"We will appeal to the higher court. He must receive at least life imprisonment," he told The Business Standard.
"A verdict alone is not enough. The authorities must show that Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman have been executed. Their punishment must be carried out as soon as possible," he added. DUCSU vice-president Abu Shadik Kayem said a five-year sentence did not reflect the severity of Mamun's actions.
"He cannot evade responsibility. Under his command, police opened fire on the public. This verdict must be reviewed.
Today's ruling marks the political burial of the Awami League and will stand as a precedent against fascism," he said.
Farhad Hossain, who suffered a chest gunshot during the July movement, said Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun's sentence was unacceptable. "At minimum, he should be given life imprisonment," he said.
Sabbir Ahmed, another July protester who lost his eyesight, said he was not fully satisfied with the verdict. "I demand the highest punishment for Mamun. Only the swift execution of the death sentences will bring me peace," he said.
