Details of helicopter shootings ‘presented in court’, Chief Prosecutor Tajul says

International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam says he has presented detailed information about shootings from helicopters during last year’s protests in July and August.

He spoke to the media on Wednesday after concluding his arguments before the International Crimes Tribunal-1 in a case over alleged crimes against humanity against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, bdnews24.com reports. 

Wednesday marked the fourth day of arguments by the prosecution. They are scheduled to continue on Thursday.

Tajul said that Hasina confirmed in conversations with three individuals that she instructed law-enforcing agencies to use lethal weapons to kill the protestors.

The court previously played audio recordings on Tuesday of conversations between Hasina and Inu, Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, and SM Maksud Kamal.

Tajul said, "Through these conversations, her (Hasina's) direct instructions to carry out the killings -- the widespread and systematic attacks that we are referring to -- have been proven. We addressed the matter of whether these telephone conversations were genuinely her voice or AI-generated.

“We clearly showed that the CID (Criminal Investigation Department) of Bangladesh confirmed through forensic testing that the voice is Hasina’s. They also confirmed the voices of Taposh, Inu, and Maksud, with whom she spoke."

The chief prosecutor said that the evidence confirms the conversation was not artificially generated.

Referring to the order for killings, the chief prosecutor said the authenticity of the order was corroborated by the then head of police, who testified directly in court that he had received instructions to use lethal weapons and helicopters. He was informed by the home minister, who, in turn, received the directive from the prime minister. He then conveyed this order to his subordinate officers, including then DMP commissioner Habibibur Rahman and official Proloy Kumar Joarder.

They conveyed the instruction through the command sector and wireless messages to various command posts and deployed forces.

“Consequently, in response to this command or order, we have shown detailed evidence through our witnesses, documentary evidence, newspaper reports, and video footage of the use of lethal weapons and firearms nationwide, and how helicopters were used.

"The detailed evidence has been presented with such irrefutable certainty that, we have repeatedly stated, this evidence will unequivocally prove the crimes of the suspects, not just in this court, but in any international court or any court in the world."

Tajul stated that it was undeniably proven that the order descended specifically from the top down. He added, "It is also proven that these crimes were widespread and systematic. This case fully satisfies the condition under both international and domestic law that a crime must be widespread and systematic to be considered a crime against humanity."

On the helicopter shootings, he said: "We have collected detailed flight charts from the relevant forces over the helicopter shootings. We showed the duration of those flights, the names and phone numbers of the pilots who operated them, and the other soldiers or officers who accompanied the pilots."

He also stated that they provided a list of the weapons used and loaded, including SMGs, light machine guns, shotguns, rifles, sound grenades, and stun grenades, along with the number of rounds fired.

Video footage, the wounds of those who suffered bullet injuries, and the bullets recovered from the bodies of those killed and injured were also presented in court as evidence.

"This entire chain of command, from the issuance of the order to its implementation on the ground, and the aftermath -- how people died, how bullets were recovered from their bodies, what grade those bullets were, which rifles they came from, and who used them -- all this evidence has been presented at the tribunal."

The prosecution will present arguments for three more charges on Thursday, Tajul added.