Father testifies at International Crimes Tribunal on sons killing during July uprising

The father of a student killed during the July mass uprising testified before the International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Wednesday, alleging that medical staff at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital attempted to conceal the circumstances of his son’s death.

Md. Monir Hossain, a small-scale businessman from Mohammadpur and the father of the deceased, Shahriar Hossain, appeared as the fifth prosecution witness in a case involving crimes against humanity committed in the Dhanmondi and Mohammadpur areas.

In his testimony, Monir Hossain stated that his son was participating in protests on July 19, 2024, when he was shot by police and ruling party affiliates. After being initially treated at a local facility, Shahriar was transferred to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead upon arrival.

Hossain alleged that hospital staff refused to issue a death certificate and instead provided a piece of white cloth to cover the body. He further testified that a doctor explicitly instructed him to hide the cause of death, warning him not to disclose that his son had been shot if questioned while transporting the body from the hospital.

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Attributing the death of his eldest son to the Awami League, the witness named several prominent figures as responsible for the violence, including ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the former Commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Habibur Rahman.

The case involves 28 defendants. Four individuals are currently in custody: former Ansar member Mohammad Omar Faruk, former Mohammadpur Thana Chhatra League president Naimul Hasan Rashel, former Chhatra League vice-president Md. Sajjad Hossain, and Jubo League activist K. M. Fazle Rabbi.

The remaining 24 defendants remain at large. This group includes former minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, former Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapas, former DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman, former Police Headquarters Additional DIG Proloy Kumar Joarder, former DMP Joint Commissioner Biplob Kumar Sarkar, and former Assistant Deputy Commissioner for the Mohammadpur region, Roushanul Haque Shoikot.