Abu Sayed Killing: Eyewitness testified against Hasina at ICT
Staff Reporter :
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) yesterday heard harrowing eyewitness testimony in the case concerning the alleged crimes against humanity during the July-August mass uprising, including the fatal shooting of Abu Sayeed, a student of Begum Rokeya University (BRU), Rangpur.
Rina Murmu, a student activist and witness to the killing, appeared before the court as the first prosecution witness against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.
“I was standing near the incident and saw the shooting on Abu Sayed. I saw two policemen firing on him and later learned they were Amir, then a sub-inspector, and Sujon Chandra, a constable,” testified Murmu.
She squarely blamed Sheikh Hasina, university authorities, members of the outlawed Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), and officers of the Rangpur Metropolitan Police for orchestrating and executing the violent crackdown that led to Sayed’s death.
“Sheikh Hasina, the university administration, Chhatra League men, and police who opened fire on the students are responsible for his killing,” she declared, urging the tribunal to deliver justice.
After her testimony, Murmu was cross-examined by Advocate Amir Hossain, a state-appointed lawyer for Sheikh Hasina and Kamal, both of whom remain fugitives.
Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, now an approver in the case, was present in the courtroom during the proceedings.
The tribunal also heard testimony from NTV journalist A K M Moinul Haque, who appeared as the second prosecution witness. Following their depositions, the court adjourned the case until August 17.
The tribunal, chaired by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, formally indicted the three accused on July 10 for their roles in what the prosecution has described as systematic crimes against humanity during the 2024 uprising.
Earlier on June 17, ICT-1 issued a notice in two national newspapers, summoning Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to surrender by June 24. The notice, issued under Rule 31 of the ICT Rules of Procedure (Amendment, 2025), warned that the trial would proceed in absentia under Section 10A of the ICT Act, 1973, if they failed to comply.
Neither Hasina nor Kamal appeared in court. Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam informed the tribunal on June 16 that, according to intelligence reports, the two are believed to be residing in India.
Formal charges against the trio include five counts of crimes against humanity, including extrajudicial killings, persecution of civilians, and command responsibility in a coordinated state crackdown on student protests.
The investigation agency of the tribunal submitted its report on May 12, initiating what could become a landmark case in Bangladesh’s post-authoritarian transitional justice process.
The trial marks the first time a former head of government in Bangladesh is being tried in absentia for alleged crimes against humanity committed during a peacetime political uprising.