Detained former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun on Tuesday told the International Crimes Tribunal-1 that the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina and the then home minister ordered to conduct mass killings to curb the protesters during the student-led mass uprising in July and August in 2024.
Mamun is a co-accused with Hasina and Asaduzzaman for their command responsibility in committing crimes against humanity by launching atrocities across Bangladesh during the mass uprising that ousted the Hasina-led Awami League regime. The former IGP has now turned state鈥檚 evidence in the case.
At the outset of the day鈥檚 hearing, Mamun was kept on the dock for the accused persons and later was taken to the podium for witnesses.
Hasina and Asaduzzaman are still in hiding and facing the trial in absentia.聽
Testifying as the 35th prosecution witness, he told the tribunal chaired by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder that the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence had proposed the arrest of six student coordinators during the uprising.
He submitted that the decision to detain the leaders of the Students Against Discrimination was taken during a core committee meeting at the official residence of Asaduzzaman.
鈥楧GFI proposed their confinement. I initially opposed it, but agreed after receiving a direct order from the then home minister. Detective Branch officer Harun-or-Rashid was tasked with the operation,鈥� he submitted.
Mamun submitted that the DB and the DGFI jointly picked up the student coordinators and brought them to the DB headquarters.
鈥楾hey were pressured to negotiate with the government. Their families were also brought in. They were eventually forced to issue statements to withdraw the movement,鈥� he said, adding that DB officer Harun played a key role.
鈥楾he home minister used to call Harun 鈥楯in鈥� for his ability to carry out sensitive missions.鈥�
Mamun submitted that the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina personally ordered the use of lethal weapons during a high-level meeting on July 18, 2024.
Senior political figures, including home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, law minister Anisul Huq, Dhaka south city mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, the then PM鈥檚 adviser Salman F Rahman, endorsed the order, he said.
According to Mamun, protesters were attacked with drones and helicopters under political instructions. 鈥楳any were killed or injured,鈥� he said.
He described two critical meetings at the prime minister鈥檚 official residence, Ganabhaban, on August 4, 2024.
The first meeting, held at about 11:00am, was attended by the members of the National Security Coordination Committee, but it was adjourned as the situation worsened, he said.
A second and smaller meeting was held later that night, while a decision was taken to launch a joint police-army operation on August 5, 2024, he submitted.
He also told the tribunal that, on July 18, 2024, Asaduzzaman phoned him to convey a direct order from prime minister Sheikh Hasina to use lethal weapons against protesters.
He said that, following the call, senior police official Proloy Kumar Joarder relayed the instruction via wireless to all high-ranking officers, including Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Habibur Rahman.
Mamun added that both commissioner Habib and Detective Branch chief Harun-or-Rashid were 鈥榦verenthusiastic鈥� in executing the orders to use lethal weapons.
He also told the tribunal that the directives to detain political dissidents originated from the then Prime Minister鈥檚 Office.
Mamun submitted that forces were deployed across Dhaka鈥檚 entry points, but protesters flooded in from areas like Jatrabari and Uttara.
鈥楾he crowd was unstoppable, like a river in full flow,鈥� he said.
Mamun said that the atrocities of July 2024 were carried out on direct orders from Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan.
Admitting his own superior command responsibility, he offered an apology to the nation and to the victims and their families.
He also alleged that former IGP Mohammad Javed Patwary was the mastermind behind the practice of casting fake votes at the night before elections.聽聽聽聽聽
Mamun will be cross-examined today by state-appointed defence lawyer Amir Hossain, who represents absconding Hasina and Asaduzzaman.