Dhaka: Nahid Islam, convenor of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and a prominent leader of the July Uprising, testified at the International Crimes Tribunal today, stating that students across Bangladesh felt deeply insulted when former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina labeled them as ‘Children and Grandchildren of Razakars’ during last year’s student movement.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Nahid spoke as the 47th prosecution witness in the case against Sheikh Hasina and two others for crimes against humanity linked to the July-August 2024 mass uprising. He recollected that the ex-prime minister’s remarks had sparked nationwide protests. During a press conference on July 14 last year, Hasina referred to protesting students with the controversial label while defending the quota system, which Nahid testified had legitimized attacks on the movement.
Nahid stated that students had always observed that whenever a justified movement arose against the government, it was dismissed by branding the protesters as razakars. Consequently, when Hasina used those words again, it humiliated students across the country. That very night, students from Dhaka University and other institutions took to the streets to protest against the remarks.
Further in his testimony, Nahid described how on July 17, 2024, the movement declared a ‘complete shutdown,’ leading students and citizens nationwide to occupy the streets the following day. He highlighted the strong resistance from private university and madrasa students, many of whom were injured or killed. Leaders went into hiding to avoid arrest, and internet services were disrupted nationwide.
He recounted that on July 19, police and ruling-party activists opened fire on students and citizens, causing fatalities and injuries, while electronic media was placed under government control, preventing news of the protests or casualties from being broadcast.
After today’s deposition, the tribunal scheduled the continuation of Nahid’s testimony for tomorrow. Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam, along with prosecutors Mizanul Islam and Gazi S.H. Tamim, represented the prosecution. State-appointed counsel Amir Hossain represented the absconding accused Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, while Advocate Zayed bin Amjad represented former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who was arrested, later turned approver, and testified as the 36th witness.
On July 10, ICT-1 framed charges against Sheikh Hasina, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun for crimes against humanity. The tribunal accepted Al-Mamun’s plea to become an approver. Sheikh Hasina also faces two other trials before the tribunal, one over enforced disappearances and killings during her 15 years in power, and another over the 2013 Shapla Chattar killings.
Allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity during the suppression of the July-August 2024 Student Uprising are being tried in two international crimes tribunals.