Desk Report:
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President Hasanul Haque Inu had advised then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to play the militant card with the protesters to suppress the anti-discrimination student movement. Sheikh Hasina had said that she would use drones to locate the protesters and bomb them from helicopters.
These words were heard in the audio of Sheikh Hasina and Hasanul Haque Inu’s conversation with various people at the International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Wednesday.
These audios were played after Tanvir Hasan Joha gave his statement to the tribunal in the case of crimes against humanity committed against Sheikh Hasina and three others in connection with the killings across the country during the anti-discrimination student movement in July-August last year. Joha, who gave his statement as the 53rd witness, is the special investigation officer of the case and the prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal.
At the end of the statement, Tanvir Hasan Joha gave five audios to the tribunal. Four of them were played, two of which were of conversations between Sheikh Hasina and Hasanul Haque Inu. The remaining two are conversations with the then Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University ASM Maksud Kamal and Barrister Fazle Noor Taposh. Yesterday’s judicial proceedings of the tribunal were broadcast live on BTV. Later, Joha was questioned by state-appointed lawyer Amir Hossain on behalf of the two absconding accused Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. The other accused in this case, former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, has given his statement in this case as a witness.
Tanvir Hasan Joha said in his statement, ‘During the investigation, I have collected various evidence including various audio clips, video footage, CDR, IPDR, CCTV camera footage from all the relevant departments including BTRC, NTMC, DMP as per the Digital Forensics Rules. I have seized 69 audio clips of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s phone conversations and 3 CDRs of mobile numbers as per the rules. A review of these phone conversations shows that in July-August last year, Sheikh Hasina ordered direct shooting using lethal weapons to suppress the anti-discrimination student movement and called for bombing from helicopters using drones to determine the location of the protesters, shutting down internet services, and identifying the protesters as Razakars and hanging them.
In the audio of the conversation between Sheikh Hasina and Hasanul Haque Inu, Inu advised Sheikh Hasina to divide them into two groups. One is the quota agitators of the students, the other is the overthrowers. The overthrowers have gone on to carry out militant terrorist attacks. ‘Those of you in my government have sympathy for the quota reformers. I will deal with the overthrowers politically. If any student is involved in the overthrowers, I will not take responsibility.’ Sheikh Hasina then said, ‘Why don’t you say this? I am a show, if you say it, then you will think that it was said from other angles.’
Inu said, ‘I will make a plan and give it to you. They are poor people. There will be propaganda, you will be shot at as soon as you step out of your house. I won’t say the word shot, strict legal measures will be taken. No one will step out of their house.’ Sheikh Hasina said, ‘They have barricades, that’s right. They will come down from the sky. They will bomb directly with helicopters, they will shoot from above with RAB helicopters.’ When Inu suggested turning on the internet, Hasina said, ‘I will never bring it back in my life. If another government comes, it will.’ Then Inu said, ‘Another government will not come to Bangladesh.’
Sheikh Hasina told Inu, ‘Jamaat must be left alone. You should make lists of people wherever you have them, we are also making them.’ Inu said, ‘You are breaking the backbone of this Jamaat-Shibir in Dhaka city again.’ Sheikh Hasina said, ‘Absolutely.’
In a conversation with Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, Sheikh Hasina can be heard saying, ‘Fire everywhere. They have shut down BRT, BTRC, burned it, burned BTV. Now the internet is shut down, everything has been burned, how will it continue now?’ Taposh said from the other side, ‘Yes, it has gone well.’ Then Sheikh Hasina said, ‘All the machinery has been burned. I am saying burn everything…, they are burning our bridge building. I have given instructions. I have given open instructions. Now use lethal weapons. Shoot straight wherever you find them.’
