Md Sarfuzzaman Khan :
Deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina faces grave allegations of crimes against humanity, as fresh testimony before the International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) on Monday linked her directly to helicopter and drone attacks on student protesters during the July 2024 uprising.
Witness account: “She ordered to shoot from helicopters”
The testimony came from Sabrina Afroza Sebonti, sister of slain student activist Mahamudur Rahman Saikat, who was killed in Mohammadpur on 19 July 2024.
Holding back tears, Sebonti told the tribunal:
“After Jumma prayers, Saikat joined the demonstration at Noorjahan Road. Around 3:34 pm, police shot him at close range. He died instantly.”
She added that she was later shown audio evidence broadcast by Al Jazeera, allegedly capturing Hasina instructing senior allies to use lethal force. According to Sebonti: In a call with Dhaka South Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, Hasina ordered drones to track protesters and to “fire from helicopters with lethal weapons.”
In another conversation with former Dhaka University VC Prof Maksud Kamal, Hasina allegedly called the protesters “Razakars” and threatened to “eliminate them England-style.”
A third leaked audio, shared widely online, reportedly revealed Hasina telling JSD president Hasanul Haq Inu that she had ordered bomb attacks on student gatherings.
“Hasina is a killer, an autocrat, an unelected ruler,” Sebonti declared, demanding the death penalty for Hasina and her co-accused under the principle of command responsibility.
Victim profile
Saikat, only 19, had recently passed his Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) from Mohammadpur Government Model School and was preparing for university admission when he was killed. He was the third brother in Sebonti’s family.
Tribunal proceedings
The three-member tribunal, chaired by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, recorded Sebonti’s deposition and fixed Tuesday for the testimony of a forensic expert as the 50th prosecution witness. The expert is expected to verify the authenticity of the alleged recordings.
Earlier in the day, CID forensic officer Rokonuzzaman testified before ICT-2, confirming that the leaked phone call between Hasina and Taposh was genuine. The CID digital forensic lab concluded that the female voice was Hasina’s and the male voice Taposh’s.
The intercepted call, obtained by Bangladesh’s National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC) on 18 July 2024, contained Hasina’s chilling words:
“My order has already been given. I directly instructed them. Now they will use lethal weapons and shoot wherever they find them.”
She further mentioned that helicopters were already being deployed in multiple locations.
Prosecution remarks
Speaking to reporters, Prosecutor Gazi Tamim said:
“The testimony has strengthened the case. The evidence shows a deliberate, premeditated plan to annihilate unarmed protesters — a textbook case of crimes against humanity.”
Supreme Court advocate Md Shakil Uddin described the evidence as historic:
“This is not just political repression; this is systematic mass killing. If forensic analysis confirms the audio, it will establish Hasina’s direct involvement in atrocities unprecedented in our history.”
Background: Bloodshed of July 2024
According to tribunal records, the crackdown ordered by Hasina left nearly 1,400 people dead and more than 20,000 injured between July and August 2024.
Mounting protests eventually forced Hasina to resign on 5 August 2024. She fled to India, ending her 15-year rule.
The case is now being described by prosecutors as a “landmark trial” that could redefine accountability for state-sponsored violence in Bangladesh.
