Bangladesh Protest Victim Gives Evidence At Ex-PM Trial
Hasina, 77, who has defied court orders to return from India to attend her trial on charges amounting to crimes against humanity, is accused of ordering a deadly crackdown in a failed bid to crush the student-led uprising.
Up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024, according to the United Nations.
The first witness, among the 11 cases that the prosecution is expected to present to the court, was Khokon Chandra Barman, whose story reflects the violence of the protests.
The 23-year-old wears a mask to conceal his face, which was ripped apart by gunshot during the culmination of the protests on August 5, 2024, the same day that Hasina fled Dhaka by helicopter.
"I want justice for the ordeal I've been going through, and for my fellow protesters who sacrificed their lives," he told the court.
Barman lost his left eye, while his right eye was damaged, as well as his lips, nose and teeth.
A video showing Barman's blood-covered face was played in court, with the opening statements aired on the state-run broadcaster.
Prosecutors have filed five charges against Hasina -- including failure to prevent mass murder -- which amount to crimes against humanity under Bangladeshi law.
"Sheikh Hasina was the nucleus around whom all the crimes committed during the July-August uprising revolved," chief prosecutor Tajul Islam told the court on Sunday.
Hasina is on trial in absentia alongside two other accused.
One, her former interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, is also a fugitive.
The other, Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, the former inspector general of police, is in custody. He has pleaded guilty.
Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman said he wanted a "fair trial", speaking to reporters outside the court.
"People were killed and maimed -- we demand the highest punishment for the crimes committed," Asaduzzaman said.
Amir Hossain, the state-appointed lawyer for Hasina, noted that Barman was shot during the chaotic final day of the weeks-long protests.
He pointed out that several police officers were also killed in clashes with protesters and it was "unclear who actually shot Barman".
Hossain said he was not in contact with Hasina, who has refused to accept the authority of the court.
The trial continues.
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Int'l Business Times
10 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Bangladesh Ex-PM Palace Becomes Revolution Museum
Once a heavily guarded palace, the former official residence of Bangladesh's ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina is being turned into a museum as a lasting reminder of her autocratic rule. Photographs of jubilant flag-waving crowds clambering onto the rooftop of the Dhaka palace after Hasina fled by helicopter to India were a defining image of the culmination of student-led protests that toppled her government on August 5, 2024. One year later, with the South Asian nation of around 170 million people still in political turmoil, the authorities hope the sprawling Ganabhaban palace offers a message to the future. Graffiti daubed on the walls condemning her regime remains untouched. "Freedom", one message reads. "We want justice." Hasina's rule saw widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents. Up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024 in her failed bid to cling to power, according to the United Nations. The 77-year-old has defied court orders to attend her ongoing trial on charges amounting to crimes against humanity in Dhaka, accusations she denies. "Dictator", another message reads, among scores being protected for posterity. "Killer Hasina". Muhammad Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner who is leading the caretaker government until elections are held in early 2026, said the conversion to a museum would "preserve memories of her misrule and the people's anger when they removed her from power". Mosfiqur Rahman Johan, 27, a rights activist and documentary photographer, was one of the thousands who stormed the luxurious palace, when crowds danced in her bedroom, feasted on food from the kitchens, and swam in the lake Hasina used to fish in. "It will visualise and symbolise the past trauma, the past suffering -- and also the resistance," he said. "Ganabhaban is a symbol of fascism, the symbol of an autocratic regime". The complex was built by Hasina's father, the first leader of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and Hasina made it her official residence during her 15 years in power. Tanzim Wahab, the curator of the under-construction museum, told AFP that exhibits would include artefacts of the protesters killed. Their life stories will be told through films and photographs, while plaques will host the names of the people killed by the security forces during the longer period of Hasina's rule. "The museum's deeper purpose is retrospective, looking back at the long years of misrule and oppression", said Wahab. "That, I believe, is one of the most important aspects of this project." Wahab said the museum would include animation and interactive installations, as well as documenting the tiny cells where Hasina's opponents were detained in suffocating conditions. "We want young people... to use it as a platform for discussing democratic ideas, new thinking, and how to build a new Bangladesh," Wahab said. That chimes with the promised bolstering of democratic institutions that interim leader Yunus wants to ensure before elections -- efforts slowed as political parties jostle for power. The challenges he faces are immense, warned Human Rights Watch ahead of the one-year anniversary of the revolution. "The interim government appears stuck, juggling an unreformed security sector, sometimes violent religious hardliners, and political groups that seem more focused on extracting vengeance on Hasina's supporters than protecting Bangladeshis' rights," HRW said. But while Hasina's palace is being preserved, protesters have torn down many other visible signs of her rule. Statues of Hasina's father were toppled, and portraits of the duo torn and torched. Protesters even used digger excavators to smash down the home of the late Sheikh Mujibur Rahman -- that Hasina had turned into a museum to her father. "When the dictatorship falls, its Mecca will go too," said Muhibullah Al Mashnun, who was among the crowds that tore down the house. The 23-year-old student believes that removing such symbols was necessary for Bangladesh to move forward to a better future. "They were the statues of dictatorship," Mashnun said. Graffiti daubed on the walls condemning Sheikh Hasina's regime remains untouched AFP Once a heavily guarded palace, the former official residence of Bangladesh's ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina is being turned into a museum AFP Protesters have used digger excavators to smash down the home of the late Sheikh Mujibur Rahman -- which Hasina had turned into a museum to her father AFP
Int'l Business Times
a day ago
- Int'l Business Times
Bangladesh Protest Victim Gives Evidence At Ex-PM Trial
The first witness in the trial of Bangladesh's fugitive ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina gave evidence on Sunday, a man shot in the face during protests that toppled her last year. Hasina, 77, who has defied court orders to return from India to attend her trial on charges amounting to crimes against humanity, is accused of ordering a deadly crackdown in a failed bid to crush the student-led uprising. Up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024, according to the United Nations. The first witness, among the 11 cases that the prosecution is expected to present to the court, was Khokon Chandra Barman, whose story reflects the violence of the protests. The 23-year-old wears a mask to conceal his face, which was ripped apart by gunshot during the culmination of the protests on August 5, 2024, the same day that Hasina fled Dhaka by helicopter. "I want justice for the ordeal I've been going through, and for my fellow protesters who sacrificed their lives," he told the court. Barman lost his left eye, while his right eye was damaged, as well as his lips, nose and teeth. A video showing Barman's blood-covered face was played in court, with the opening statements aired on the state-run broadcaster. Prosecutors have filed five charges against Hasina -- including failure to prevent mass murder -- which amount to crimes against humanity under Bangladeshi law. "Sheikh Hasina was the nucleus around whom all the crimes committed during the July-August uprising revolved," chief prosecutor Tajul Islam told the court on Sunday. Hasina is on trial in absentia alongside two other accused. One, her former interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, is also a fugitive. The other, Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, the former inspector general of police, is in custody. He has pleaded guilty. Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman said he wanted a "fair trial", speaking to reporters outside the court. "People were killed and maimed -- we demand the highest punishment for the crimes committed," Asaduzzaman said. Amir Hossain, the state-appointed lawyer for Hasina, noted that Barman was shot during the chaotic final day of the weeks-long protests. He pointed out that several police officers were also killed in clashes with protesters and it was "unclear who actually shot Barman". Hossain said he was not in contact with Hasina, who has refused to accept the authority of the court. The trial continues.
DW
2 days ago
- DW
Middle East updates: Germany says Gaza aid 'insufficient' – DW – 08/02/2025
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