The full text of verdict in crimes against humanity case against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was published on Wednesday.
The two convicted individuals have 30 days to file an appeal.
The other accused in this case, former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, has been sentenced to five years in prison by the court. Mamun’s lawyer, Zayed Bin-Amjad, informed journalists that they have received a copy of the verdict.
On 17 November, International Crimes Tribunal-1, led by Justice Golam Mortuza Majumder with Justice Shafiul Alam Mahmud and Judge Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury, delivered the judgment in the case over crimes against humanity.
The tribunal sentenced Hasina and Kamal to death. Mamun, who became an approver and cooperated with the court by providing information to ensure justice, received a lenient sentence of five years’ imprisonment.
With this verdict, for the first time in Bangladesh a former prime minister has been given the maximum punishment for crimes against humanity. This was also the first judgment delivered by the reconstituted tribunal after the July movement.
On 5 August 2024, Hasina fled the country in the face of a mass uprising. The investigation began on 14 August that year following the filing of charges. The case was investigated by Md Alamgir, a member of the ICT investigation agency.
The trial commenced on 17 July with the framing of charges, and testimony from 54 witnesses was recorded for the prosecution.
As Hasina and Kamal remained absconding, they were tried in absentia. The tribunal found all five charges brought by the prosecution against Hasina, Kamal and Mamun proved. However, it treated the first, second and third charges together, sentencing Hasina and Kamal to imprisonment until death on those counts.
It merged the fourth and fifth charges and handed Hasina and Kamal the death penalty on that combined charge.
Regarding Mamun, the court observed that he testified as an approver and assisted the tribunal to the best of his ability by providing information and evidence about the case, which helped ensure justice.
Although the tribunal said his crimes merited the death penalty, it sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment in recognition of his cooperation in establishing justice.
First count
The first count took place at Ganabhaban on 14 July 2024. At a press conference there, the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina delivered an inciting speech.
Following that statement and on the instigation of Kamal, Mamun and other senior officials of the then government, members of law enforcement agencies and armed Awami League militants carried out widespread and systematic attacks on unarmed and innocent students and people.
As part of this conduct, they instigated, incited, aided and participated in killings, attempted killings, torture and other inhuman acts, and failed to prevent these crimes.
Instead of punishing those involved, they conspired to shield them. The crime scene extended from Ganabhaban to the whole of Bangladesh and took place between 14 July and 5 August last year.
The charge states that the students’ movement in 2024 demanding reform of government job quotas was justified.
On 14 July 2024, Hasina held a press conference at Ganabhaban, where she made disparaging and inflammatory remarks about the students’ legitimate demand.
In particular, with the intention of crushing the movement, she abused ordinary students as “children of Razakars” and “grandchildren of Razakars.” In effect, she branded the innocent and unarmed protesting students as “Razakars” and incited their elimination.
After Hasina’s comments, armed activists of the Chhatra League attacked peaceful student protesters in the Dhaka University area.
In their positions of responsibility, accused Kamal and Mamun took no action against the law enforcers and armed Chhatra League militants under their command. Instead, they helped them to commit these crimes.
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, along with ministers, MPs and leaders of the Awami League and the 14-party alliance at different levels, were inspired by Hasina’s speech. They unleashed armed militants nationwide to attack students and members of the public.
In response to Hasina’s incitement, Kamal and Mamun instructed members of law enforcement agencies to attack the unarmed protesters. As a result, more than 1,500 people were killed across the country by 5 August and over 25,000 were seriously injured.
Many suffered permanent disability, limb loss or blindness.
Inspired by Hasina’s speech, obstacles were created to prevent injured people from receiving treatment in hospitals. Even death certificates for the deceased were manipulated so doctors could not record the true causes of death and were forced to enter false causes instead.
Funeral prayers and burials for those killed were obstructed. Bodies were not handed over to their families but buried as unclaimed corpses in mass graves, while some bodies were burned to destroy evidence.
As head of the executive branch and leader of the Awami League and the 14-party alliance, Sheikh Hasina, through her inciting speech, conspiratorial planning and instructions, along with Kamal and Mamun using their forces and political cadres, orchestrated attacks on protesting students and people across the country.
Second count
Hasina ordered the use of helicopters, drones and lethal weapons against students and people participating in the movement. Following her instructions, Kamal and Mamun directed law enforcers to use such weapons and implemented those orders.
Through these instructions, assistance, participation and conspiracy, crimes against humanity were committed with their knowledge. The locations of these offences included Ganabhaban, the Dhaka University vice-chancellor’s residence and the entire country.
The incident occurred between the press conference on 14 July and 5 August 2024.
According to the charge, on the night of 14 July last year, a phone conversation took place between Sheikh Hasina and the then vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, Professor ASM Maksud Kamal.
In that call, sitting in the chair of head of government, Hasina again branded the protesting students as razakars and ordered their hanging and shooting.
On 18 July the same year, another phone conversation took place between Hasina and her cousin’s son, the then mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation, Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh. In that call, she ordered the use of lethal weapons to annihilate the protesting students and people.
She instructed that drones be used to identify the locations of the protesters for arrest, and that helicopters be deployed to suppress them. Thereafter, protesters were detained and tortured, and indiscriminate firing was carried out from helicopters.
As a result, more than 1,500 people, including women and children, were killed and thousands injured. Kamal and Mamun implemented Hasina’s plans and instructions through their subordinates.
Kamal and Mamun monitored whether Hasina’s orders were being carried out.
During the protests, on 27 July in front of Jatrabari Police Station, Deputy Commissioner of Wari Zone, Mohammad Iqbal, recorded a video on his mobile phone of protesting students and people being shot dead and showed it to Kamal and Mamun.
In the video, DC Iqbal was heard saying: “If we shoot, one dies, one is injured, one goes, the rest don’t move, sir, that is the fear and the concern.”
From this, it is clearly established that crimes against humanity were committed nationwide with knowledge and under the instructions of the accused.
Hasina’s phone conversations further revealed that, under her plan, party cadres set fire to and burned strategic state installations such as Setu Bhaban, the BTV building and metro rail stations. The blame for these attacks was later shifted onto the protesting students and people.
Third count
At Hasina’s instigation and on her orders to use lethal weapons, attacks were carried out on unarmed protesting students and people.
As part of this move, on 16 July in Rangpur, student protester Abu Sayeed was shot multiple times at close range in front of Begum Rokeya University, killing him and constituting a crime against humanity.
The charge states that at the press conference at Ganabhaban on 14 July last year, Sheikh Hasina made disparaging remarks about the students’ demands and, through her comments, incited their elimination.
Motivated by her inciting speech, armed Chhatra League militants attacked students in the Dhaka University area. Inspired by the same comments, attacks were carried out on students and people across the country.
Kamal and Mamun ordered law enforcers to attack the protesters and monitored whether their orders were being implemented.
Law enforcement agencies committed inhuman acts and crimes against humanity against students and people in Dhaka and elsewhere.
As part of those crimes, on 16 July in Rangpur, student Abu Sayeed was shot dead at close range by assistant sub-inspector Amir Hossain and constable Sujan Chandra Roy.
When Abu Sayeed’s body was taken to Rangpur Medical College Hospital, the real cause of death was concealed. The inquest report falsely recorded “head injury” as the cause of death instead of stating that he died from gunshot wounds.
Under pressure from police and Awami League-aligned doctors, the doctor who conducted the post-mortem was forced to change the report four times to hide the fact that he was killed by gunfire.
To shield those responsible, false information was used to file a murder case accusing Abu Sayeed’s fellow protesters. By doing so, the accused engaged in inhuman acts that constitute crimes against humanity under the Tribunal Act.
Fourth count
On the instructions of Sheikh Hasina and at the instigation of Kamal, Mamun and other senior officials of the then government, attacks were carried out on unarmed students and people. As part of this, law enforcers shot dead six unarmed protesters at Chankharpul in Dhaka on 5 August.
The charge notes that Hasina’s comments at the 14 July press conference at Ganabhaban incited action to suppress the movement. Armed Chhatra League militants attacked protesting students in the Dhaka University area.
Subsequently, inspired by Hasina’s inciting speech, Obaidul Quader and other ministers, MPs and leaders of the Awami League and the 14-party alliance encouraged police and Awami League militants to launch armed attacks on students and people.
Kamal and Mamun regularly inspected and monitored the situation on the ground. The phone conversations between Sheikh Hasina and then Dhaka University vice-chancellor Maksud Kamal, and between Sheikh Hasina and barrister Taposh, contain evidence of orders to use lethal weapons against the students and people.
On 5 August, to crush the “March to Dhaka” programme, Hasina, Kamal and Mamun made conspiratorial plans and issued orders for an all-out operation.
To implement the instructions to use lethal weapons, heavily armed law enforcers were deployed at various entry points to Dhaka, including Chankharpul and surrounding areas.
Later, targeted shots fired by constables Sujan Hossain, Imaaz Hossain Emon and Nasirul Islam killed six people – Shahriar Khan Anas, Sheikh Mahadi Hasan Junaid alias Mostaqin, Yakub, Rakib Hawlader, Mohammad Ismamul Haq and Manik Mia alias Shaharik.
These killings were carried out under the connivance and instructions of then Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Habibur Rahman, joint police commissioner Sudip Kumar Chakraborty, additional deputy police commissioner Shah Alam Akhtarul Islam, assistant police commissioner Imrul and inspector Arshad Hossain.
The tribunal held that these acts constituted crimes against humanity under the Tribunal Act.
Fifth count
On Hasina’s incitement and instructions to use lethal weapons, six students and members of the public were shot dead by law enforcers on 5 August in front of and around Ashulia Police Station. Five of the bodies were burned and one person, critically injured, was burned alive.
According to the charge, in response to Hasina’s incitement, instructions and instigation to suppress the “March to Dhaka” programme, local MP Saiful Islam and then deputy inspector general Syed Nurul Islam oversaw police and Awami League militants who shot and killed students and people in the Ashulia Police Station area.
After Hasina’s fall, police and Awami League militants fired recklessly at ordinary students and people celebrating victory near Ashulia Police Station, killing five and injuring one.
The bodies of Sajjad Hossain Sajal, As-Sabur, Tanzil Mahmud Sujoy, Bayezid Bostami and Abul Hossain, along with one living but grievously injured person, were then doused with petrol and set on fire.
Burning dead and living people in this way constitutes inhuman acts and crimes against humanity under the Tribunal Act, the judgment read.
