747 cops used lethal arms on student protesters

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Staff Reporter  :

A list of policemen, who used with lethal weapons in the capital Dhaka and the port city of Chittagong during the anti-discrimination student movement, has been prepared.

The list is being scrutinized by the investigation agency of the International Criminal Tribunal.

Sources with the police headquarters said the list encompasses 747 members of the law enforcement agency ranging from constable to Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).

The identified policemen were responsible for firing live bullets on the student protesters from July 18 to 21.

During this time, 357 policemen fired about 8,000 rounds of bullet killing and injuring a huge number of protesters.

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Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md. Moinul Islam said that legal actions are being taken against those who have used excessive force.

The protesters called a ‘complete shutdown’ across the country on July 18 as a good number of students were killed in police firing on the previous day.

Over 150 people lost their lives in four days and at least 115 cases were registered against the police.

Lawyers’ organization Lawyers for Energy, Environment and Development has compiled a list of policemen involved in the
shooting after reviewing the allegations in the cases.

According to related sources, the police used 26023 bullets during the agitation, of which 16 912 were fatal. Most of the shooting incidents have been categorized as targeted ones.

However, arrest warrants have been issued for the officers who ordered firing on the protesters.