The Daily Amar Desh editor, Mahmudur Rahman, told the International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Monday that India played a key role in Awami League president Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 rise, in consolidating her power, and eventually in enabling her to become authoritarian.
Mahmudur made the remarks while testifying as the 46th prosecution witness in the crimes against humanity case against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun for their superior command responsibility in committing atrocities across Bangladesh during the July 2024 mass uprising.
His deposition remained incomplete when the tribunal, chaired by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, adjourned the hearing until Tuesday morning.
Citing former Indian president Pranab Mukherjee鈥檚 memoir 鈥楾he Coalition Years鈥�, Mahmudur said that the then Bangladesh Army chief Moeen U Ahmed met Indian foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee in February 2008, months before the December national election that year.
According to Mahmudur, the book revealed that General Moeen struck a deal with Pranab Mukherjee, promising to install Sheikh Hasina as the prime minister in exchange for personal and professional benefits, including financial gain, job security, and immunity.
鈥楾his suggests that the 2008 general election result was predetermined in New Delhi, 10 months before it was held,鈥� Mahmudur submitted.
He told the tribunal that the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence and Moeen U Ahmed played a direct role in delivering the landslide win for the Awami League in the 2008 national election.
He said that Brigadier Mamun Khaled, then a DGFI officer and allegedly involved in orchestrating the election manipulation, was later promoted to lieutenant general and made DGFI director general.
Mahmudur told the court that the DGFI attempted to split the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and manipulated the electoral process to ensure the victory of the Awami League.
He said that India strategically supported Sheikh Hasina to expand its regional dominance, effectively turning Bangladesh into its 鈥榰ndeclared colony鈥�.
He said that India interfered in Bangladesh鈥檚 domestic politics on multiple occasions. In 2014, India鈥檚 then foreign secretary pressured the Jatiya Party to participate in an election boycotted by the BNP.
Mahmudur termed the interference a 鈥榙irect violation of Bangladesh鈥檚 sovereignty鈥�.
He also said that India lobbied the United States and the United Kingdom to legitimise the controversial national elections of 2018 and 2024.
He concluded the day鈥檚 deposition by stating that Bangladesh鈥檚 sovereignty was restored through the July 2024 mass uprising, which led to Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 ouster and her subsequent fleeing to India for shelter on August 5, 2024.
