Dhaka: An eyewitness of the killing of Abu Sayed, a student of Begum Rokeya University, testified today as a prosecution witness against Sheikh Hasina, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun in a case of crimes against humanity. Rina Murmu, an anti-discrimination student movement activist from the same university, testified at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, after her deposition, Advocate Amir Hossain, the state-appointed counsel for ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, cross-examined Murmu. The witness recounted, “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 (former sub-inspector of police) and Sujon Chandra (former constable).”
Rina Murmu concluded her testimony by holding Sheikh Hasina, the university administration, leaders and activists of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League, and members of the Rangpur Metropolitan Police responsible for the killing. She demanded justice for the incident. Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal remain at large, while former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, now an approver of the case, was present in the dock.
Following Murmu’s testimony, journalist A K M Moinul Haque from NTV provided his deposition as another prosecution witness. The court adjourned the proceedings until August 17, 2025, after the submission of the two eyewitnesses.
The first tribunal, led by Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, indicted the trio on July 10 for their alleged roles in crimes against humanity during the July-August mass uprising. The ICT-1 had published a notice on June 17 in two national dailies, requesting Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to surrender to the court by June 24.
The notice required them to surrender as per the rules of the International Crimes (Tribunal-1) Rules of Procedure 2010 (Amendment), 2025, warning that their trial would proceed in absentia under section 10A of the ICT Act, 1973, if they failed to comply. On June 1, the ICT-1 took formal charges against the trio into cognizance and set June 16 for further order.
Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam informed the court on June 16 that Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal had not yet been arrested, with police learning from various sources that they are currently in India. The prosecution’s formal charge brought five accusations against Sheikh Hasina, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.
The ICT investigation agency filed its probe report on May 12 in the crimes against humanity and mass killing case.