The doctor who conducted the autopsy of Abu Sayeed said that the police forced him to change the post-mortem report five times, reports Al Jazeera.
Abu Sayeed, a student at Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur, was shot dead by the police in Rangpur on July 16, 2024.
Rangpur Medical College Hospital鈥檚 Rajibul Islam told Al Jazeera that the police forced him to change Sayeed鈥檚 post-mortem report five times to remove any reference to multiple bullet wounds.
鈥楾hey wanted to write a report stating that Abu Sayed Bhai died due to injuries from stone-throwing 鈥� [whereas] he died from police bullets,鈥� said Rajibul Islam, according to the report published by Al Jazeera on its website on Thursday.
Abu Sayeed鈥檚 death was a turning point in the July uprising, leading to a national outcry and intensifying the protests.
The Qatar-based 24-hour English-language news channel also released a documentary titled 鈥�36 Days in July: Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 secret orders revealed鈥� on its YouTube channel on Thursday. It contains ousted Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 secret phone call recordings, accessed by Al Jazeera.
Al Jazeera Investigative Unit (I-Unit) had the recordings analysed by audio forensic experts to check for AI manipulation, and the callers were identified by voice matching.
According to the report, in one secret phone recording of Hasina鈥檚 ally and economic adviser, Salman F Rahman, he is heard trying to get hold of Sayed鈥檚 post-mortem report. During the call, Rahman quizzes the inspector general of police, Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, wanting to know what had happened to the report.
鈥榃hy is it taking so long to get the post-mortem report? Who鈥檚 playing hide and seek? Rangpur Medical?鈥� he asked, referring to Rangpur Medical College and Hospital, which was carrying out the autopsy on Sayed, reads the report published by Al Jazeera.
Hasina 鈥榠ssued an open order鈥� to 鈥榰se lethal weapons鈥� on students protesting against her government鈥檚 policies and shoot 鈥榳herever they find them.鈥� After Hasina ordered brutal crackdown on protesters, nearly 1,400 people were killed and more than 20,000 were wounded, according to the country鈥檚 International Criminal Tribunal, reads the report.
In one call, recorded on July 18, by the National Telecommunications Monitoring Centre, Hasina told an ally that she had ordered her security forces to use lethal force, reads the report available on the website of Al Jazeera.
鈥楳y instructions have already been given. I鈥檝e issued an open order completely. Now they will use lethal weapons, shoot wherever they find them,鈥� she said.. 鈥楾hat has been instructed. I have stopped them so far 鈥� I was thinking about the students鈥� safety.鈥�
Hasina later in the call with Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, the then mayor of Dhaka South and her relative, talks about using helicopters to control demonstrations.
鈥榃herever they notice any gathering, it鈥檚 from above 鈥� now it鈥檚 being done from above 鈥� it has already started in several places. It has begun. Some [protesters] have moved,鈥� she says.
According to the report, Shabir Sharif, an accident and emergency doctor at the Popular Medical College Hospital in Dhaka, told the I-Unit that shots were fired from a helicopter 鈥榯argeting our hospital entrance鈥�.
He added that doctors attended to student protesters with unusual bullet wounds.
鈥楾he bullets entered either the shoulder or the chest, and they all remained inside the body. We were receiving more of these types of patients at that time,鈥� he said.
鈥榃hen we looked at the X-rays, we were surprised because there were huge bullets.鈥� Al Jazeera has not been able to verify what type of bullets were used.
According to the report, Hasina鈥檚 surveillance network, the NTMC, recorded these conversations. The NTMC has previously been accused of spying on not just opposition figures but even Hasina鈥檚 political allies.
Tajul Islam, chief prosecutor for the ICT, told Al Jazeera that Hasina knew she was being recorded.
鈥楽he has dug a very deep ditch for others. Now she鈥檚 in the ditch,鈥� Islam said.
