'Kill them with injections': July shooting victim recounts AL threats to doctors
He is the sixth witness in a crimes against humanity case over the killing of 28 people in Rampura during the uprising
A victim shot during the July uprising testified before the International Crimes Tribunal today (19 May), alleging that Awami League activists threatened a treating physician after he had been brought in for emergency care, demanding the doctor finish him off with lethal injections.
He is the sixth witness in a crimes against humanity case over the killing of 28 people in Rampura during the uprising. The two-member International Crimes Tribunal-1, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, recorded his testimony.
The identity of the witness was withheld for security reasons. He worked as a caretaker at a residential building in Meradia, Rampura, and was shot on 19 July 2024.
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Among the four accused in the case, two military officers, lieutenant colonel Redwanul Islam and major Md Rafat Bin Alam, are currently detained in the Dhaka Cantonment sub-jail.
In his testimony, the witness said he went to Meradia kitchen market beside Rampura Police Station around noon on 19 July to observe the student movement.
"As soon as I reached the market, I saw BGB members, police and Awami League men firing. Some people died after being shot and many others were injured. Everyone was covered in blood," he told the tribunal.
Terrified by the violence, he started heading home when a bullet struck him below the waist from behind and exited through the front of his body. During the hearing, he showed the tribunal his bullet wound after lifting part of his clothing.
The witness said passers-by took him to Mugda Hospital after he collapsed. Although he received treatment that day, he was forced to leave the hospital on the night of 20 July.
According to his testimony, Awami League activists threatened doctors at the hospital, saying: "They were shot but didn't die. Kill them with injections." He also alleged that the hospital later refused to provide him with any medical documents related to his treatment.
After returning home, local Awami League leaders and activists allegedly warned him that he could no longer stay in the area because he had been shot. He later sought treatment at another hospital at his own expense after receiving support from a local resident.
The witness blamed Redwanul and Rafat, along with police officers Rashed and OC Mashiur, for his shooting. He told the tribunal he is now physically unable to work and broke down in tears while demanding justice for those involved.
The two absconding accused are former ADC of DMP's Khilgaon Division Md Rashedul Islam and former Rampura Police Station officer-in-charge Md Mashiur Rahman.
Prosecutor Abdus Sattar Palowan represented the prosecution during the hearing, alongside prosecutors Zahirul Amin, Moinul Karim, Marzina Raihan and others.
