‘Hasina ordered firing from helicopter’: digital forensic expert tells tribunal

A digital forensic expert has testified against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a crimes against humanity case at the International Crimes Tribunal.

Tanvir Hassan Zoha, who is also a member of the prosecution and investigation team, appeared before the court on Wednesday as the 53rd witness in the case.

He presented four audio recordings of conversations between Hasina and the then mayor of Dhaka South Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, former Dhaka University vice-chancellor ASM Maksud Kamal, and JaSaD President Hasanul Haq Inu.

According to Zoha’s expert opinion, the voice heard in the recordings belongs to Hasina. In those clips, she is purportedly heard ordering the use of drones for identification and instructing gunfire from helicopters.

The tribunal played the recordings during the session.

The testimony was heard by the two-member bench of International Crimes Tribunal-1, presided over by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder with Justice Md Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury as the other member.

Following the testimony, Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan’s state-appointed lawyer Mizanul Islam cross-examined the witness.

Mizanul said: “In the conversations between Hasina and Taposh, she gave instructions to use lethal weapons and shoot to kill protesters. She also ordered the use of drones to identify targets and firing from helicopters.”

One of the recordings also featured Maksud discussing the presence of Bangladesh Chhatra League President Saddam Hussain and others at his residence.

On this, lawyer Mizanul said: “As a teacher, the vice-chancellor’s comments are very unfortunate. He described how criminals would be nurtured and used. This shows how he intended to harbour and exploit them.”

On the conversations between Hasina and Inu, he said: “In 1971 people fought against foreign occupiers who bombed and shot at the people. But here a head of government, who claims to be elected, is ordering the use of paratroopers and helicopters to fire on the people, even ordering bombings.”

He added: “She [Hasina] also shut down internet services, later trying to justify it differently. Another instance is where she said ‘I told them to burn one thing, they burned the Setu Bhaban instead’. This means she gave the arson order, though a different establishment was set ablaze than she had intended.”