ICT details Hasina, Kamal, Mamun’s roles in lethal July 2024 crackdown
The tribunal cited domestic and international reports, including those from the UN and rights group Odhikar, on the July Uprising
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has released detailed observations in the case of crimes against humanity against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former inspector general of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun.
The Tribunal confirmed their roles in orchestrating a coordinated and lethal crackdown on students and civilians during the July 2024 quota reform movement, resulting in approximately 1,500 deaths and grievous injuries to around 25,000 others.
Their actions were found to constitute crimes against humanity under multiple sections of the International Crimes Tribunal Act.
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Genesis of the July uprising and provocation
The student protests erupted in July 2024, with students from Dhaka University and other institutions demanding reforms in government job quotas, continuing until 5 August 2024.
The Tribunal observed that the government, rather than addressing the demands, responded with derogatory remarks from Sheikh Hasina, who labelled the students "Rajakar," a derogatory term in the Bangladeshi context.
The ICT observed that in telephone conversations with Dhaka University's former vice-chancellor, ASM Maksud Kamal, Hasina stated: "Now they also will be hanged, none will be spared, I have already ordered to arrest." These statements were interpreted as incitement to party activists and affiliated organisations, including Chhatra League and Jubo League.
Hasina's telephone conversation with former Dhaka South mayor and Hasanul Haq Inu on 18 July 2024 has also supported the interpretation.
The conversations have been examined in the forensic laboratory of CID, and the concerned experts found that the conversations were genuine and not generated by artificial intelligence.
Additional provocative statements from Awami League Secretary and former cabinet minister Obaidul Kader further inflamed the situation. These directives prompted attacks on protesting students across the country, including at Begum Rokeya University and Rangpur, resulting in multiple fatalities, including the student Abu Sayed, and widespread injuries.
Coordinated crackdown using drones, helicopters, and lethal weapons
The Tribunal detailed how a core committee, consisting of the then home secretary, additional home secretaries, DMP commissioner, DG of BGB, DG of Ansar, DGFI chief, NSI chief, and other top officials, convened daily to execute Hasina's directives.
Orders to use drones and helicopters to locate gatherings and deploy lethal weapons, including SMGs, LMGs, Chinese rifles, shotguns, 9mm and 7.62mm pistols, were communicated to officers nationwide.
Law enforcement personnel and party activists carried out these orders on the ground, intercepted injured protesters en route to hospitals, and assaulted individuals inside hospital premises.
The operations spanned 50 districts, with lethal weapons used in 41. Key incidents included six fatalities at Chankharpul, Dhaka, and numerous injuries in Asulia and Savar. The Tribunal confirmed that these were systematic, nationwide attacks directed against civilian protesters.
Sheikh Hasina issued the orders, Kamal supervised the operations, and IGP Al Mamun coordinated the execution, including relaying instructions from core committee meetings.
Charges, verdict, and legal accountability
Sheikh Hasina was found guilty on multiple counts under the International Crimes Tribunal Act. Under Charge Number One, both were convicted of three counts.
Count One for inciting crimes through a press briefing on July 14, 2024, Count Two for a telephonic conversation with ASM Maksud Kamal in which she threatened protesters, and Count Three for the killing of Abu Sayed at Begum Rokeya University. For these offences, she was sentenced to imprisonment until natural death.
Under Charge Number Two, the tribunal found them guilty of ordering the deployment of helicopters, drones, and lethal weapons, and overseeing the killings at Chankharpul and Ashulia.
Count One involved issuing the orders, confirmed in a telephonic conversation with Hasanul Haque Inu. Count Two pertained to the killing of six students at Chankharpul, and Count Three covered the six protesters gunned down in Ashulia, whose bodies were torched.
For these offences, Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death. The court also ordered the confiscation of their properties and directed compensation for the victims' families and the injured.
Kamal faces similar charges under Sections C2A, C2G2H, 4.1B, and 43 for abetment, facilitation, and failure to prevent atrocities.
Former IGP Al Mamun, while culpable under the same provisions, received a lesser sentence under Section 15 of the Act due to full disclosure and cooperation with the Tribunal.
The verdict, detailed in 453 pages, relied on testimony from 54 prosecution witnesses, including the father of Abu Sayed, as well as audio recordings of Hasina's conversations, verified by forensic examination.
The ICT emphasised that Hasina, Kamal, and Al Mamun had both the authority and responsibility to prevent the atrocities, yet their failure to act, combined with active incitement, constituted a joint criminal enterprise.
The attacks were systematic, deliberate, and targeted unarmed civilian protesters, resulting in approximately 1,500 deaths and grievous injuries to thousands across 50 districts, employing both aerial and ground-based lethal weapons.
Eyewitness testimony, forensic analysis of telephonic conversations, and video evidence confirmed the planning and execution of these crimes. The Tribunal concluded that these acts were not only deliberate violations of law but also gross breaches of human rights, establishing a precedent for holding leaders accountable.
