A new report has revealed that 148 people were killed during the protest on July 19, with 40 of them being under the age of 18. This figure is three times higher than the initial report.
The report, titled “Bloodshed in Bangladesh,” was launched by the International Truth and Justice Project and the Tech Global Institute at Bangla Academy on Wednesday.
The report confirms that at least 148 individuals were shot by law enforcement authorities or, in some cases, activists of the then-ruling party, Awami League.
These individuals succumbed to their injuries either on July 19 or in the following days.
The victims included people from all walks of life, with 42 students and 99 employed or working individuals among the deceased.
The report also highlights the geographical distribution of the casualties: 124 people were killed in Dhaka, seven in Narsingdi, seven in Narayanganj, four in Rangpur, two in Madaripur, and one each in Mymensingh, Bogra, Sylhet, and Savar.
During the report's launch event, titled "The July Revolution: Evidence of Atrocities," two short documentaries were released.
These documentaries, based on the killings and massacres carried out by Bangladesh Police on August 5, the day Sheikh Hasina left the country, underwent rigorous scrutiny and cross-checking with numerous social media videos, images, and audio recordings.
Sabhanaz Rashid Diya, executive director of Tech Global Institute, emphasized the importance of collecting and preserving digital evidence for accountability.
"These films show the wealth of digital evidence that urgently needs collecting and preserving as critical evidence for accountability," she said.
"However, this has to be done in a way that both protects witnesses from harm and is admissible in future court proceedings."
Law Adviser Asif Nazrul expressed optimism about the trial process, saying: "I’ve spoken with the chief of the prosecutor team. They are working very hard and are optimistic that the trial process will commence very soon, maybe within weeks. Our first responsibility is to ensure justice. But we need to maintain the due process of the judiciary procedure. We need to ensure that our justice is different from the justice of Sheikh Hasina."
Yasmin Sooka, executive director of ITJP and an international lawyer, said: "There is no doubt that this was unlawful and targeted use of force by the police which constitutes gross violations of human rights and, if proven in a court of law, amounts to crimes against humanity. Sheikh Hasina must have known what was going on and did nothing to stop it."
Photographer and activist Shahidul Alam criticized the government's failure to create a complete list of the deceased and injured, even after five months of the protest.
"I appreciate the earnest efforts of those who are working on it, including the July Smrity Foundation, but I have questions about their competence," he said.
Shahidul emphasized the necessity of giving opportunities to skilled and competent individuals for positions that require expertise.
