The National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre’s (NTMC) former director general Ziaul Ahsan allegedly deleted around 1,000 phone calls records of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina containing directives to suppress the student-led uprising in July 2024.
International Crimes Tribunal’s Special investigation officer and prosecutor Tanvir Zoha disclosed the information before the court in Dhaka on Monday.
“On the evening of 5 August, nearly 1,000 call records from four of Sheikh Hasina’s phone numbers – including ownership details – were deleted from NTMC’s server,” he said, adding that efforts are underway to recover the data.
Tanvir also said that phone call records of former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun and the former planning minister have also been deleted.
Sheikh Hasina had maintained communications through a total of four phone numbers during the July movement.
He said that the deletion was carried out by an individual recruited through open source under the orders of then NTMC director general Ziaul Ahsan.
The tribunal’s special investigation officers recovered some of Sheikh Hasina’s phone conversations during the July movement where she was reportedly heard giving directives to open fire from helicopters.
