Awami League and Jubo League activists, alongside police officers, fired upon worshippers performing Maghrib prayers inside a mosque, a witness told International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Sunday.
The harrowing description was provided by prosecution witness Md Zakir Hossain, 55, during his deposition before ICT-1.
Hossain was testifying in connection with allegations of crimes against humanity committed during the July-August mass uprising against Workers’ Party of Bangladesh President Rashed Khan Menon and Awami League Presidium Member Kamrul Islam.
Hossain testified that he had stood for Maghrib prayers when Jubo League, police, and Awami League personnel opened fire from behind, wounding several worshippers in the back two rows.
‘Student protesters were labelled razakar’
Hossain told the tribunal that on 14 July 2024, student protesters were labelled “razakar.” In protest, Hossain and his two sons joined the student-led demonstrations the following day, 15 July.
He alleged that Chhatra League, Jubo League, and police tortured protesters at Dhaka University on 15 July.
On 16 July, six demonstrators were killed across the country, including Abu Sayeed in Rangpur and Wasim in Chittagong. Hossain claimed that Awami League, Jubo League, Chhatra League, and police forces shot and killed them.
On 17 July, Hossain went to Nilkhet to locate his eldest son, Rezaul Karim Reza, who had participated in protests in front of Dhaka College.
Reza later phoned to confirm he had returned home safely. Later that day, Hossain joined protests opposite Dhaka Teachers’ Training College, where he witnessed Chhatra League, Jubo League, and police opening fire, wounding numerous demonstrators.
Hossain personally transported two injured individuals to the emergency department of Popular Hospital.
Azimpur clashes
On 18 July, at around 10:30am, Hossain joined the anti-discrimination students’ protests near the Azimpur Bus Stand to protest against job discrimination and the torture and firing on peaceful demonstrators over the previous two days.
He returned home at 2:30pm, but upon returning to the front of the Azimpur Mayor Hanif Jame Mosque at 3pm, he observed police, Awami League, Jubo League, Chhatra League, Mohila League, and the “Helmet Bahini” opening fire on protesters.
Hossain took refuge in an under-construction building opposite Viqarunnisa Noon School to save his life. From there, he observed a group of local Awami League, Jubo League, Chhatra League, and Jubo Mohila League members in an alley to the south.
The group included Solaiman Selim and Irfan Selim – sons of Haji Selim – alongside Motiur Rahman Jamal, Humayun Kabir, Nasir Ahmed, Sajib, Apache Rakib, Commissioner Hasibur Rahman Manik, and Anwar Hossain Anu.
Hossain testified that they were operating as a “terrorist force” for the then lawmaker Kamrul Islam, carrying weapons and firing alongside the police.
Hossain’s younger son, Imtiaz Hossain Ifti, was protesting nearby in front of a seven-storey government quarters behind the Azimpur Bus Stand Mosque, along with his friends Khaled Saifullah and Mohammad Ashraful.
Around 5pm, police, Chhatra League, Jubo League, and Kamrul Islam’s “Petua Bahini” opened fire on the group, severely injuring Ifti, Ashraful, Khaled Saifullah, and many others. Saifullah was declared dead by the duty doctor upon arrival at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, while Ashraful was blinded in his right eye and his right hand became non-functional.
Shortly after 5:30pm, Hossain was protesting in front of the seven-storey government quarters behind the Azimpur Bus Stand mosque, where he was struck in the right eye by a tear gas shell, blinding his vision.
He entered the Mayor Hanif Jame Mosque to splash water on his eyes and subsequently stood for Maghrib prayers. According to his deposition, Jubo League, police, and Awami League personnel opened fire from behind, hitting many worshippers in the back two rows.
Upon returning home after the prayers, Hossain went to the seven-storey government quarters colony at around 7:00 pm to search for his son Ifti. There, in front of Building 23, he witnessed police and the “Helmet Bahini” shoot and kill a government official named Dulal Mohammad.
Deployments and directives
The following morning, on 19 July, Hossain set out to find his eldest son, Reza. Reza informed him via phone that he was protesting around Dhaka College. After learning that his son had returned home, Hossain went out for another task.
A former army member friend from Badda phoned him to report that many students were injured there and required money for treatment.
Gathering what money he could from home, Hossain performed Juma prayers at the Baitush Sharaf Jame Mosque in Farmgate before heading towards Jahangir Gate. There, he heard gunfire coming from the direction of the Mohakhali Railgate.
Once the noise subsided, he went to the Mohakhali Railgate, where he found several injured demonstrators lying on the ground. Among them was his acquaintance, Sayem Khan, who had been shot in the chest.
With the help of other protesters, Khan was put into a rickshaw and sent to the hospital, with Hossain providing some money for his treatment.
As he proceeded towards Badda, Hossain witnessed further firing by Awami League, Chhatra League, and police at the Mohakhali Bus Stand. He reported seeing similar gunfire in front of Gulshan Police Plaza, after passing by the Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station.
He then reached his friend in Badda, from where they headed towards Rampura Bridge, where police and Awami League members were opening fire. Around that time, his acquaintance, Abdur Rahman, called to say he was protesting in front of Farazy Hospital-2.
Hossain went there and found Abdur Rahman with a gunshot wound in his right leg and took him inside Farazy Hospital, remaining there until 11pm. He claimed to have seen numerous bullet-wounded victims whom the hospital authorities were not treating.
At around 12:30 am on 19 July, Hossain returned home and learned of a secret meeting between 14-party alliance leaders and Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban. He noted in his deposition that the decision to impose a curfew and deploy the military was made during that meeting.
He claimed that in that meeting, Obaidul Quader, Kamrul Islam, and Rashed Khan Menon advised Sheikh Hasina to suppress the students’ movement by force, suggesting that officers open fire if necessary.
Hossain alleged that in accordance with their advice, Awami League, Chhatra League, Jubo League, and police shot and killed or injured protesters.
