POBNEWS24, Dhaka July 10, 2025 : The International Crimes Tribunal has ordered the start of the trial of Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal in the July-August genocide. The tribunal has also set the date for the presentation of the opening statement in the case on August 3 and the recording of testimony from August 4.
The three-member International Crimes Tribunal-1, headed by Justice Golam Mortuza Majumder, ordered the framing of charges on Thursday. The other two members of the tribunal are Justice Shafiul Alam Mahmud and Judge Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury. The Tribunal-1 has set the date for the ‘opening statement’ in the case on August 3 and the first recording of testimony on August 4.
The other two accused in the case are former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.
Among the accused, Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan are absconding. Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun is under arrest. He was produced before the tribunal.
Meanwhile, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun has become a public witness in the July-August killings. He also admitted his involvement in the massacre. On Thursday, he told the tribunal, “I was involved in the July-August killings, I will reveal all the secrets. I want to become a public witness in this case on my own initiative.”
On May 12, the investigation agency officials submitted an investigation report against Sheikh Hasina in the July-August massacre. Sheikh Hasina’s name has emerged in the investigation report as the person who ordered the July massacre. Apart from Hasina, the other two accused in the case are former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun.
In response, Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun said that he is pleading guilty. And he will cooperate with the tribunal by providing information about the commission of the crime.
After the hearing, Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam told reporters that Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun was present at the tribunal today. The charges were read to him. The tribunal wanted to know what his statement was regarding the charges against him. He admitted his guilt. He is supposed to know everything about the crimes against humanity that were committed in July-August 2024. He wanted to become an ‘approver’ by assisting the tribunal in uncovering all the information. The tribunal granted that request.
On the other hand, a storm of discussion is brewing in Bangladesh over a recently leaked audio clip. A report jointly published by BBC Bangla and BBC-I claims that the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directly ordered the use of lethal weapons to suppress the 2024 movement.
Based on this allegation, the international human rights organization Amnesty International has now spoken out.
The UK-based organization said in a statement on its South Asia Facebook page that those involved in the violence that took place in Bangladesh from July to August last year must be held accountable in accordance with international standards. The organization has explicitly called on the interim government to refer these incidents to the International Criminal Court (ICC) under Article 14 of the Rome Statute.
The statement also mentioned that a UN investigation report claimed that about 1,400 people lost their lives in the protests at that time, a large part of whom were killed by rifles and shotguns used by the military. Thousands of protesters were injured, many of whom were permanently disabled.
Amnesty International believes that there should be an impartial, independent and credible investigation into these incidents. At the same time, the organization said that judicial action should be taken against those who directly participated in the violence as well as those who gave orders behind them.
However, Amnesty has also emphasized that there should be no provision for the death penalty in the judicial process.
Meanwhile, no official reaction from Bangladesh has been received yet regarding the leaked audio. However, some human rights organizations say that an international investigation into these allegations could seriously damage the country’s image.
Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country on August 5 after being unable to survive the student-public movement. During this time, many leaders and activists of her party, Awami League, and its affiliates fled the country. Many are arrested and are in prison or in hiding.
On the other hand, in the wake of the horrific terrorist attack on the Holy Artisan in Dhaka on July 1, 2016, Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered the use of bullets to rescue domestic and foreign hostages, which was also reported in the media at that time. Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam submitted that old audio to the court along with many other fabricated and baseless information to prove the leader of the people guilty of the order.
Shocking everyone, BBC World Service is adding some parts of the audio call borrowed from Tajul Islam, broadcast on July 1, 2016, to highlight Sheikh Hasina’s involvement in the July-August conspiracy. On that day, Operation Thunder Bolt was conducted to suppress the militants at the Holy Artisan Bakery in Gulshan. According to the BBC’s claim, they have confirmed with audio expert “earshot” that it is the call record of the Honorable Prime Minister, but they have again resorted to a source instead of forensic analysis to determine the time period.
The 2016 directive on combating terrorism has been made to be swallowed by the BBC by Bishwabatpar Yunus Gong as an audio from 2024.
