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During a deposition, National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam stated that students felt insulted when former prime minister Sheikh Hasina referred to them as the children and grandchildren of Razakars, collaborators of the Pakistan Army during the 1971 Liberation War.
He gave his deposition on Wednesday before the International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) in Dhaka as the 47th witness in a crimes against humanity case filed against Sheikh Hasina and two others.
Former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun were also made accused in the case along with the former prime minister.
Among them, former IGP Mamun has already pleaded guilty and given his deposition before the tribunal as an approver.
After recording deposition partly from Nahid Islam on Wednesday, the three-member bench of the ICT-1 headed by its Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder adjourned the proceedings until Thursday.
Nahid Islam stated that Sheikh Hasina took a stance in favour of the quota system by referring to the students as the children and grandchildren of Razakars during a press conference on July 14, 2024.
Essentially, this statement served to legitimise the attack on the protesters, said Mr Islam adding that historically, they have observed that any legitimate movement against the government is often undermined by labeling the protesters as the children of Razakars.
He said the students felt insulted by being labeled as the children and grandchildren of Razakars. That night, students from various educational institutions, including Dhaka University, took to the streets in protest against the remark.
Nahid Islam mentioned that on July 17 last year, the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), an intelligence agency of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, pressured them to withdraw their protest programme and engage in dialogue with the government.
He added that a case was also filed against the protesters at Shahbagh Police Station in Dhaka, and similar obstacles were created across the country. However, the protesters continued their movement, defying all barriers to press for their demands.
He said they declared a "complete shutdown" across the country on the night of July 17 last year. In response to the call, people and students from all walks of life took to the streets on July 18.
Nahid Islam said, the leaders of the movement faced threats to their lives and went into hiding to avoid arrest. Many students and civilians across the country were injured and killed that day. That night, internet access was shut down nationwide.
He said on July 19, police and "Awami terrorists" opened fire on the protesting students indiscriminately that also injured and killed many people and students.
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