Dhaka: Dr Mahfuzur Rahman, an associate professor at the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital (NINH), today pleaded to bring ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her cohorts Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Obaidul Quader, Mohammad A Arafat, and others to justice for the brutality they allegedly orchestrated during the July-August Mass Uprising and sought their execution in public.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Dr Mahfuzur Rahman made the plea while testifying as a prosecution witness at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 in the crimes against humanity case against Sheikh Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun. “Most of 167 seriously injured patients, who were admitted in our hospital after getting injured in the police firing in July and August, 2024, came with shattered skulls. Many of them had almost no skull left. Four were brought dead, 29 died during the treatment. Seven, who were put on ICU, were sent to Thailand for better treatment,” Dr Mahfuzur Rahman stated in his testimony.
The physician reported that a total of 575 people, all with bullet and pellet injuries, received treatment from the hospital’s outdoor service. Despite the severe injuries, many could not be admitted due to a shortage of beds, as more serious patients continued to arrive. Dr Mahfuzur Rahman led 33 surgeries and removed 15 bullets and pellets from patients, though some bullets could not be extracted.
Dr Mahfuzur Rahman further narrated the challenges faced by medical staff in providing treatment to injured protesters, despite repeated pressure from law enforcement agencies. Officials from the detective branch of police reportedly visited the hospital after July 19, when the influx of injured patients increased, and pressured staff not to admit bullet-injured patients or release those already admitted. To circumvent this, the hospital began admitting patients under the guise of road accident victims.
The first tribunal indicted the ousted prime minister and the other two on July 10 for their roles in crimes against humanity committed during the July-August mass uprising. On June 17, ICT-1 published notices in two national dailies, ordering Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to surrender on June 24. The tribunal warned that failure to comply would result in the trial proceeding in their absence.
Earlier, ICT-1 took cognizance of the formal charge on June 1, filed by the prosecution, and had set June 16 for further orders. Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam revealed on June 16 that Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal had not been arrested, with police sources indicating they are currently in India.
The prosecution’s formal charge included five charges against Sheikh Hasina, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun. The ICT’s investigation agency filed its probe report in the crimes against humanity and mass killing case on May 12.