Witness testifies at International Crimes Tribunal on deadly July police crackdown in Jatrabari
Photo Collected
A witness has testified before International Crimes Tribunal-2, alleging that police forces deployed tear gas, sound grenades, and pellet rounds into the mosque of the Jatrabari Baro Madrasa during Friday prayers on July 19, 2024. The witness, Muhammad Ridwan Hasan, a teacher at the Jamia Islamia Darul Ulum Madrasa, stated that the ensuing protests by students and worshippers resulted in the deaths of approximately 23 to 24 madrasa students across the country, including two in the Jatrabari area.
Hasan provided his testimony in connection with a crimes against humanity case involving the death of Imam Hasan, also known as Taim, during the July uprising. Taim, the son of a police officer, was killed near the Kazla flyover in Jatrabari.
Describing the events leading up to the violence, Hasan testified that on the night of July 18, 2024, police shot and critically wounded 14-year-old student Ahmad Abdullah during a peaceful student protest. He alleged that police subsequently ran over the wounded teenager with an armored vehicle, and he was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.
The witness further detailed an incident on July 20, when he observed police officers fatally shooting an individual near the Kazla flyover during a two-hour curfew relaxation period. He later identified the victim as Imam Hasan. Regarding the unrest on August 3, Hasan reported that police interrupted a peaceful protest organized by madrasa students and clerics, while members of the Chhatra League and Jubo League—the student and youth wings of the Awami League—brandished domestic weapons near the Shonir Akhra bridge before departing under police protection.
Hasan recounted that on August 5, as he and a group of protesters marched toward the Gono Bhaban, he received news of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation. He stated that he later learned of heavy gunfire erupting near the Jatrabari Police Station, resulting in the delivery of three bodies to the madrasa. He alleged that on that day alone, police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel killed approximately 60 people in the area, including five to six madrasa students and clerics.
In his concluding remarks, the witness demanded legal accountability for the members of the Awami League, affiliated organizations, and law enforcement officers who carried out or ordered the killings.
The case currently lists 11 defendants. Two individuals are currently in custody: former Jatrabari Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abul Hasan and former Sub-Inspector Md. Shahdat Ali. The remaining nine defendants, who are currently at large, include former Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Habibur Rahman, former Joint Commissioner Sudip Kumar Chakraborty, former Deputy Commissioner of the Wari Division Md. Iqbal Hossain, former Deputy Commissioner of the Demra region Md. Masudur Rahman, former Additional Deputy Commissioner of the Wari region S.M. Shamim, former Assistant Commissioner Nahid Ferdous, former Inspector (Investigation) Md. Zakir Hossain, former Inspector (Operations) Md. Ohidul Haque, and former Sub-Inspector Sajjad Uz Zaman.
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