ICT Defense: UN Report Confirms No Bombs or Bullets Fired from Helicopters During July Uprising

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DHAKA — During the ongoing trial at the International Criminal Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) on Sunday, defense lawyers for Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASD) President Hasanul Haq Inu argued that allegations of a conspiracy to drop bombs from Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) helicopters are entirely incorrect.

The defense team highlighted that both the RAB and Police chiefs officially confirmed to a United Nations delegation that no live ammunition or bombs were discharged from helicopters during the July mass uprising. Instead, the aerial units strictly deployed tear gas shells and sound grenades to control volatile crowds.

The Core Arguments

The arguments took place during the third consecutive day of hearings in a case accusing Hasanul Haq Inu of complicity in the killing of six people in Kushtia during the July mass uprising. The defense presented arguments addressing the first four of the eight specific charges leveled against the veteran politician.

Senior defense counsel Mansurul Haque Chowdhury led the presentation, assisted by advocates Md. Abul Hasan and Sifat Mahmud.

       [Leaked Audio Allegation]
                   │
    (Defense Rebuttal at Tribunal)
                   ▼
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. No conspiracy or incitement to kill in conversation │
│ 2. UN Report confirms only tear gas & sound grenades   │
│ 3. Extreme crisis required non-lethal aerial crowd control│
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

1. No Incitement in Leaked Audio

The defense addressed a widely discussed intercepted phone conversation between ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Hasanul Haq Inu. They argued that the audio contains absolutely no statements involving conspiracy, planning, or encouragement of state violence against protesters.

“Nowhere in that conversation did Sheikh Hasina or Hasanul Haq Inu state that the agitators should be killed or tortured. In fact, Sheikh Hasina explicitly said during the call, ‘I don’t want any casualties.’“

— Sifat Mahmud, Defense Lawyer

2. Debunking the Helicopter Bombing Claims

Addressing the prosecution’s claim that RAB helicopters were authorized to drop bombs, the defense clarified that the phrase used in the conversation referred to “sound bombing” (the deployment of sound grenades).

The defense noted that the ground situation in Dhaka’s Shanir Akhra area had deteriorated to such an extreme extent that even army ground units were facing massive blockades entering the zone. This severe crisis was formally documented in a subsequent United Nations report.

According to that UN report, top security commanders—including the RAB and Police chiefs—personally verified to the UN delegation that aerial operations were strictly confined to non-lethal crowd-control measures, specifically tear gas shells and sound grenades.

Current Legal Status

Hasanul Haq Inu remains the primary accused in this specific mass-uprising homicide case. He was arrested shortly after the political transition following the July student-led movement and is currently held in judicial custody as the International Criminal Tribunal continues to hear testimonies and defense arguments.