Leaked Audio Reveals Sheikh Hasina Irked by Viral Photos of Detained Student Coordinators
Photo Collected
International Crimes Tribunal-2 heard further evidence on Sunday regarding the July uprising, as prosecutors presented intercepted audio recordings implicating high-ranking officials of the ousted Awami League government in orchestrating state-sponsored suppression.
Prosecutor Gazi Monawar Hussain presented evidence during the third day of arguments in a case involving former Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader and six others. The recordings reveal that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was incensed by the circulation of images showing coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement dining, which led to the reassignment of then-Detective Branch (DB) chief Mohammad Harun-or-Rashid.
In a recorded conversation, Harun appealed to Obaidul Quader to intervene against his transfer, warning that an order was imminent. Harun claimed he was following instructions from the Home Minister and the Special Branch chief regarding the photos. Quader, however, noted that the Prime Minister was adamant about the decision, despite then-Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan’s initial attempts to keep Harun in his post by merely changing his assignment within the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). Following these deliberations, Harun was officially reassigned to the position of Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) on July 31, 2024.
The prosecution further detailed how the administration weaponized deaths during the protests to serve a political narrative. In a July 16, 2024, call between Obaidul Quader, former Textile and Jute Minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, and Chattogram City Corporation Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin, the officials discussed violent clashes in Chattogram. When Nasir reported that three individuals had been killed—including a pedestrian and a party associate—Nanak directed him to use the death of their associate as a political tool. “Organize the funeral, make it an issue,” Nanak instructed. The prosecutor noted that this effort failed because the victims were not actually aligned with their political faction.
Evidence presented also shed light on the systematic suppression of student protesters. In calls involving Rajshahi City Corporation’s former Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, Quader discussed reclaiming university campuses through coordinated force. Additionally, recordings between Quader and then-State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak confirmed that the government intentionally throttled internet services, with Palak stating he needed the Prime Minister’s permission to execute the shutdown.
The prosecution argued that the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, implemented on August 1, 2024, was a tactical maneuver to frame student protesters as members of the banned organization. Transcripts of conversations between Quader and Asaduzzaman Khan highlighted the legal orchestration of this ban, which the state used to justify mass arrests.
The seven defendants in the case—Obaidul Quader, AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Mohammad Ali Arafat, Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, Mainul Hossain Khan, Saddam Hossain, and Sheikh Wali Asif—are currently fugitives. The trial continues as the prosecution concludes its presentation of evidence regarding the crimes against humanity committed during the July uprising.
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