A formal charge submitted to the International Crimes Tribunal has unveiled explosive claims surrounding the political uprising of August 2024, including high-level military defiance, lethal crackdowns on protesters, and the dramatic resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
In a case involving crimes against humanity during the July uprising, the prosecution submitted formal charges on Sunday, shedding light on the final days of Sheikh Hasina’s government. The document outlines confidential meetings, violent suppression of peaceful demonstrators, and internal resistance that ultimately led to the prime minister’s resignation on August 5, 2024.
According to the charge sheet, the government, advised by a group known as the “Gang of Four” — Obaidul Quader, Anisul Huq, Salman F Rahman, and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal — adopted an uncompromising stance on August 4. The leaders reportedly discouraged Hasina from relinquishing power and instead devised strategies to suppress the mass movement using joint forces of police and military.
One pivotal meeting allegedly took place at the Prime Minister’s residence, Ganabhaban, on the night of August 4. Military officials present advised Sheikh Hasina to step down to prevent bloodshed, to which she furiously responded, “Shoot me dead and bury me here in Ganabhaban.”
Despite intense resistance, Hasina insisted on deploying maximum force against protesters. Retired Major General Tarique Siddique reportedly endorsed the use of deadly weapons, even proposing aerial firing by the air force — a suggestion that infuriated a military officer, who warned the prime minister that such advisors were leading her to downfall.
The document further alleges that even Sheikh Rehana, Hasina’s sister, pleaded on her knees for her to resign, but she refused. It was only after intervention by her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, that Hasina agreed to step down. Her request to deliver a farewell speech was reportedly denied by the military, and she eventually fled to India following her formal resignation on August 5.
The tribunal also details a deadly crackdown in the Chankharpul area of Dhaka, where police allegedly fired on unarmed demonstrators, killing several including school students Shahriar Khan Anas, Sheikh Mahdi Hasan Zunaid, and others.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Joint Commissioner Sudip Kumar Chakraborty, named as an absconding accused, allegedly followed directives from the then-prime minister to open fire between July 1 and August 5. On August 5 morning, under orders from Commissioner Habibur Rahman, police opened fire to block protestors from reaching the Shaheed Minar.
Additionally, the report claims that on July 14, ruling party affiliates, including members of the Awami League and its youth wings, carried out a brutal assault on unarmed Dhaka University students, facilitated by law enforcement.
According to the prosecution, Sheikh Hasina’s government attempted to maintain control through systematic violence until her fall on August 5. The report concludes that the evidence is strong enough to identify Hasina as culpable in any international court.
LND/BG
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