HC issues rule on preserving UN fact-finding report on July Uprising as historical evidence

The High Court has issued a rule asking why the UN fact-finding report on the brutal violence against the July Uprising protesters should not be ordered to be preserved as a historical document and evidence, safeguarded for research purposes.

The rule also asks why the UN report should not be preserved for the knowledge of future generations.

The HC bench of Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Mubina Asaf issued the rule today (14 May) after hearing a supplementary petition in this regard by Supreme Court lawyer Tanveer Ahmed.

The SC lawyer filed the writ petition on 13 August last year, seeking directions to take action against those responsible for keeping a "dictator" and a "mass murderer" in power.

At the time, the HC issued a ruling seeking to know why those responsible for shooting and killing students and the general public during the July-August Uprising should not be brought to justice.

After the UN fact-finding report was released, Tanveer filed an appeal on the report.

After the order, lawyer Tanvir Ahmed told reporters, "We filed a writ in August regarding the trial of the culprits. The court then issued a rule. The government has taken steps accordingly. The tribunal has been re-established. The law has been amended. The investigation agency and the prosecution team are working.

"In the meantime, the UN fact-finding report was published. The report says that 1,400 people were killed. [It also states] The political interference at that time, how the violence was carried out, what the judicial system was like—that is, a proper and complete report."

He said, "In our view, it should be preserved for three purposes. For future generations to know what happened. To preserve it as evidence.To use it in other countries for future research purposes. For this, we have filed an application with a report in the High Court as a court of record. The court has issued a rule."