Prosecution tells tribunal police used military-grade 7.62mm ammunition against July uprising protesters
Photo Collected
State prosecutors told the International Crimes Tribunal-2 on Tuesday that police deployed lethal 7.62 mm ammunition against demonstrators during the July mass uprising. The disclosure was made during the fifth day of arguments in a case involving seven high-profile figures, including former Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader.
Prosecutor Gazi Monawar Hossain Tamim informed the tribunal that the evidence was based on a report provided by Police Headquarters, which confirmed that law enforcement fired 305,311 bullets across the country during the unrest. A significant portion of this ordinance consisted of 7.62 mm rounds. According to the prosecution, police utilized these lethal weapons in 40 districts, with more than 95,000 rounds fired in Dhaka alone.
The prosecution argued that 7.62 mm ammunition is typically reserved for military use and is not accessible to civilians. Citing findings from a United Nations report, Tamim noted that medical personnel and hospital records confirmed that many individuals killed during the uprising had sustained wounds consistent with 7.62 mm fire. Retired military ballistics experts have stated that 7.62 mm rounds, when fired from semi-automatic Chinese rifles, are inherently lethal within a range of 300 meters.
During the proceedings, Chief Prosecutor Md. Aminul Islam detailed the role of the Chhatra League, the student wing of the then-ruling party. He alleged that Obaidul Quader explicitly incited violence, citing an instance where Quader questioned why Chhatra League President Saddam Hossain had not ordered his followers to beat the protesters. The prosecution asserted that the Chhatra League opted to confront the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement through organized violence, leading to attacks on Dhaka University students and further assaults on the injured inside medical facilities. The prosecution specifically highlighted the targeting of female students during these confrontations.
The defendants in the case include Obaidul Quader, Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, former State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat, Jubo League Chairman Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, Jubo League General Secretary Mainul Hossain Khan, Chhatra League President Saddam Hossain, and Chhatra League General Secretary Sheikh Wali Asif. All seven defendants are currently fugitives.
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