Testimony at ICT: SI forced to make flawed report on Abu Sayed’s body
Staff Reporter :
The police officer who prepared the inquest report on the body of Abu Sayed, the first martyr of July from Rangpur, told the court that he was compelled to submit a “flawed” report.
Sub-Inspector Md Tariqul Islam made this statement while testifying before the International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT).
The three-member tribunal, headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, recorded his testimony on Tuesday in the case relating to crimes against humanity over Abu Sayed’s killing.
At the time of the July 2024 student uprising, Tariqul was posted at Rangpur Kotwali police station. He is now serving at Bhashantek Police Station under the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
On 16 July 2024, Abu Sayed, an English department student at Begum Rokeya University, was shot dead by police in front of the campus during the quota reform movement.
In his deposition, SI Tariqul stated that around 4:30pm, while on duty near Kotwali police station, he received a radio message that a body had been taken to Rangpur Medical College Hospital and he was instructed to carry out the inquest. At the hospital, he learned that the deceased was student Abu Sayed, who had been killed by police fire near the university.
He testified that a large number of students had gathered at the hospital, creating a tense situation, and additional police were deployed there.
Around 7pm, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Md Arifuzzaman of Rangpur Metropolitan Police’s Kotwali Zone asked if he had seen the body. When Tariqul replied he had not, the ACP instructed him to examine it.
“After examining the body, I noted that it bore numerous pellet wounds and that blood from a head injury had soaked the stretcher. At that point, he ordered me not to record that the death was caused by gunfire,” Tariqul told the tribunal.
“When I objected, he hurled abuse at me, cursed my parents, and threatened: ‘You are a Jamaat agent. I’ll have you dismissed, implicated in cases, and sent to jail.’ I was terrified,” he added.
According to Tariqul, ACP Arifuzzaman admitted he was acting under pressure from higher authorities. Later that night, around 10:30pm, Arifuzzaman returned with Executive Magistrate Ahmed Sadat and again instructed him to prepare the report as directed.
“Left with no choice, I prepared the inquest report in front of Magistrate Ahmed Sadat, omitting any mention of gunshot injuries and instead writing only that the body had multiple small wounds,” Tariqul said.
Prosecutors MH Tamim, BM Sultan Mahmud and others were present during his testimony, after which defence lawyers cross-examined him.
The tribunal’s investigation report implicated 30 people in Abu Sayed’s killing. On 30 June, the tribunal accepted the charges and issued arrest warrants for the absconding accused.