July Justice: Tribunal Reviews Video Evidence Against Hasina and Co-Accused
In the crimes against humanity case linked to the July Movement, the 54th witness, Investigation Officer Md. Alamgir, presented 17 video clips against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and two other accused. The videos were broadcast live through digital means. Following the lunch recess, Alamgir is scheduled to testify as the final witness in the case.
Alamgir, serving as the 54th prosecution witness, began his testimony by introducing himself. Prosecutors then informed the tribunal that several videos needed to be shown during his deposition, requesting that they be played together at the outset. The tribunal approved the request, and 17 video recordings of various incidents during the July uprising were presented.
The videos were submitted before International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Sunday, September 28, in the presence of Prosecutors Mizanul Islam, Gazi Monowar Hossain Tamim, Tanvir Hasan Zoha, and Abdus Sattar Palowan. Court-appointed defense counsel Amir Hossain represented the accused.
On Saturday, Prosecutor Gazi Monowar Hossain Tamim had confirmed that Alamgir would testify as the final and 54th witness in the case against Hasina, with parts of his deposition and the seized video evidence to be broadcast live.
Earlier, on Wednesday, the 53rd witness, Special Investigation Officer and Prosecutor Tanvir Hasan Zoha, testified. He revealed that investigators had seized 69 audio clips of Hasina’s phone conversations and call detail records (CDRs) from three mobile numbers. Four of those conversations were played in court during his testimony and broadcast live.
These four conversations included one between Hasina and former Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor and her relative Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, two with Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President Hasanul Haq Inu, and one with former Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor A.S.M. Maksud Kamal.
Apart from Hasina, the other accused in the case are former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.
The first investigating officer in the case was Deputy Director Md. Jane Alam Khan, followed by Deputy Director Md. Alamgir, with overall assistance from Special Investigation Officer Tanvir Hasan Zoha. Alamgir submitted the investigation report on May 12, followed by supplementary charges on May 31 and formal charges on June 1.
On July 10, the tribunal ordered the framing of charges. It also approved the plea of former IGP Al-Mamun to testify as an “approver” (state witness).
