Witness Testifies at International Crimes Tribunal Over 2015 Extrajudicial Killings of Student Leaders in Barishal

DHAKA — A witness testified before the International Crimes Tribunal-2 on Tuesday regarding the alleged extrajudicial killing of two political activists in 2015, marking a significant development in the ongoing crimes against humanity case.

Selina Begum, the primary witness, recounted the night of February 19, 2015, when Tipu Howlader, then joint general secretary of the Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) in Agailjhara, Barishal, was taken from her residence in Ghatarchar, Keraniganj. Begum testified that a group of men identifying themselves as members of the Detective Branch (DB) of police abducted Howlader while he was sleeping at her home.

Howlader was the husband of Begum’s niece, and the couple had two children together. Two days after the abduction, on February 21, 2015, news reports confirmed that Howlader and Kabir Molla, the organizing secretary of Jatiotabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha (JASAS) in Agailjhara, had been killed in a reported crossfire incident.

During her testimony, Begum stated that Howlader arrived at her Keraniganj home on February 17, 2015. Two nights later, the uniformed individuals arrived, claiming they had traveled from Barishal and were accompanied by local personnel from Dhaka. Begum said she shouted for help during the abduction, drawing the attention of a neighbor, Nahar Begum, who accompanied her to the site where Howlader was forced into a vehicle.

Bangladesh Women Council Reports Over 250 Cases of Violence Against Women and Girls in August

Read Article

Begum testified that she immediately alerted her niece to the incident. Upon learning of the deaths via television broadcasts two days later, she was informed by her niece that police officers from a separate station had allegedly executed the killings.

The case involves four defendants. Former Awami League lawmaker Abul Hasnat Abdullah and former Barishal Superintendent of Police (SP) A.K.M. Ehsan Ullah remain at large. Two other defendants, former Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Mahabul Islam and former ASI Jasim Uddin of Wazirpur Police Station, are currently in custody.