Former inspector general of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun has said that, on the orders of former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, coordinators were detained and subjected to mental torture, forcing them to withdraw their movement.
The former IGP, now a state approver, appeared before the court to testify against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and two others in the July massacre case.
On Tuesday, during the 11th day of testimony at International Crimes Tribunal-1, led by Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, he made these remarks.
In his deposition, the former IGP said that political influence within the police force increased further after the 2018 elections. Certain officers became known as influential figures. They maintained direct contact with senior political leaders.
He said these officers held meetings almost every night at the residence of former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. These secret meetings continued until late at night. The officers who attended the meetings included former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner Habibur Rahman, Detective Branch’s Harun-Ur-Rashid, Special Branch’s Monirul Islam, Dhaka DIG Nurul Islam, additional DIG Biplob Kumar, ASP Kafi, OC Majhar, Forkan Apurbo, among others. Some of them had direct contact with former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, he added.
In his testimony, state approver Mamun further said that these officers did not follow the chain of command because of their direct access to senior government figures. “But I wanted them to carry out their duties with professionalism,” he said. He explained that two groups formed within the police force were behind such activities. The leaders of these two groups also wanted their own people to secure important postings and remain in Dhaka.
In his statement, the former IGP also described several detention centres, including the Taskforce Interrogation (TFI) cell, during his time with the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
So far, 35 witnesses have testified in this case. Testimonies have revealed descriptions of widespread killings during the July-August movement last year. Families of the martyrs and eyewitnesses have demanded exemplary punishment for Sheikh Hasina, Kamal, and others held responsible.
Earlier, on July 10, former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun admitted to committing crimes against humanity during the July Uprising.
That day, he told the International Crimes Tribunal: “The allegation brought against us of murder and genocide during the July-August movement is true. I find myself guilty in this incident. As a state approver, I want to present before the court the detailed crimes committed during the July-August Uprising. I want to assist the court in uncovering the truth.”
He made these statements during charge framing before the three-member International Crimes Tribunal-1, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder.
On the same day, International Crimes Tribunal-1 ordered formal charges to be framed against three accused, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. The tribunal rejected the petition seeking the exemption of the accused from the case.
The prosecution brought five charges of crimes against humanity against the three. The formal charge documents amount to 8,747 pages.
Among these, 2,018 pages are references, 4,005 pages are seizure lists and documentary evidence, and 2,724 pages are descriptions of the list of martyrs. A total of 81 witnesses are included.
