Bangladeshi police killed or injured at the very least 20 unarmed protesters in two beforehand undocumented incidents throughout the demonstrations that engulfed the nation final 12 months, in line with newly examined video footage.
The Worldwide Fact and Justice Undertaking (ITJP), a rights group that paperwork alleged abuses, has analysed video footage of two incidents in Dhaka on 5 August – the day that Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled the nation – and located proof that officers intentionally focused peaceable civilians.
The findings add to rising proof of police brutality within the closing days of Hasina’s regime as officers tried to violently crush the protests, killing greater than 1,000 civilians, which ultimately price her her premiership.
Callum Macrae, the film-maker who analysed the movies, known as them “extraordinary, chilling” and “grotesque”. He added: “It is quite clear from the footage that the police were under no threat and did not believe they were under any threat. They had absolutely no justification in law for using lethal violence against any of the protesters.
“The film makes clear how important it is that there is an independent judicial truth and justice process which can have the confidence of the Bangladeshi people,” he mentioned.
Yasmin Sooka, the manager director of the ITJP and a former member of South Africa’s Fact and Reconciliation Fee, mentioned: “Considering that the protesters were unarmed and that there were a number of civilians besides the students it is absolutely shocking that the police used live ammunition against the students and the protesters. It’s horrific when you see the brutality of the violence.”
Sooka welcomed the information that Tulip Siddiq had stood down from her position within the British authorities on Tuesday afternoon after the end result of the overview by Laurie Magnus, though it discovered she had not breached ministerial requirements.
“At no time have I ever heard any statement from her distancing herself from her aunt, or indicating any kind of remorse or sorrow for the atrocities committed in Bangladesh by her aunt’s regime against protesters and civilians,” she mentioned.
Over her 15 years in energy, Hasina’s authoritarian regime was extensively accused of corruption, tyranny and widespread human rights abuses. When protests started to emerge throughout the nation in July final 12 months, Hasina responded by unleashing a wave of police brutality towards peaceable protesters, who had been hit with batons, rubber bullets and stay ammunition, killing greater than a thousand folks and leaving tons of blinded. An investigation by Amnesty Worldwide in July confirmed the illegal use of deadly weapons towards protesters by police.
In response, the protests swelled into an all-out revolution. By 5 August, as tons of of hundreds of individuals started to march in direction of her residence and the military refused to fireplace on civilians en masse, Hasina boarded a helicopter and fled the nation.
As a part of the ITJP investigation, Macrae and his crew analysed footage of two incidents on 5 August, the place Bangladeshi police had been accused of opening hearth and killing unarmed civilian protesters.
The primary incident occurred at about 2pm exterior the Jatrabari police station within the south of the Bangladeshi capital. Smartphone movies present dozens of scholars amassing exterior the police station and being met with gunfire from the officers they encountered.
A number of officers hearth 12-gauge pump-action shotguns in direction of the group, in line with weapons consultants who’ve reviewed the footage. One mentioned subsequent photos of accidents had been in keeping with using deadly cartridges, loaded with lead pellets.
Armed forces then seem and usher the police again into their station. However separate footage taken a number of minutes later then reveals an officer apparently throwing a grenade into the group, after which the police surge ahead and open hearth.
As demonstrators flee, officers chase them whereas nonetheless firing. One injured man is hit repeatedly with a rifle butt and picket batons whereas on the bottom. One other is shot a number of occasions at shut vary whereas making an attempt to cover behind a concrete pillar.
The film-makers counted at the very least 19 lifeless or injured folks within the footage they had been capable of analyse.
The second video reveals a 20-year-old man known as Mohammed Riddoy being surrounded by police, apparently having been captured throughout the protests. Because the law enforcement officials circle Riddoy, one approaches him from behind and shoots him within the again at point-blank vary.
Riddoy falls to the bottom, and the officers go away, earlier than three of them return to choose up his physique – probably nonetheless alive – and drag it previous the close by hospital within the course of the police station.
Riddoy has not been seen since. His household say they’ve pleaded for the return of his physique, however the police deny all information of its whereabouts. Jasmine Akhter, his sister, mentioned: “I want him to be recognised as a martyr. We are a very poor family and I hope the government will take care of my parents.”
Baharul Alam, the inspector common of the Bangladeshi police, informed the Guardian: “We have been conducting a thorough investigation into the role of police officers killing demonstrators in the July and August upsurge. At least 30 officers have already been arrested. We are cooperating with others who have evidence, including, for example, the international judicial organisation that has produced this short documentary.”
Talking in regards to the footage of Riddoy specifically, Alam mentioned his workplace had verified his the veracity of the footage however had been nonetheless on the lookout for Riddoy’s physique. He added that two law enforcement officials had been arrested for his killing.
The movies are being revealed alongside a brand new report by the ITJP and the Tech World Institute, which focuses on one other day of the protests – 19 July.
The teams discovered that on simply sooner or later at the very least 148 folks had been killed – 3 times greater than initially reported – 40 of whom had been 18 or below. The report’s authors mentioned the findings added to proof that the loss of life toll from the violence could be far larger than beforehand thought.
Since her downfall, Hasina, her senior ministers and police officers have been named in a mounting variety of circumstances in Bangladesh, with fees together with crimes towards humanity, mass homicide and corruption. An arrest warrant and extradition request was lately issued for Hasina, who resides in exile in India and has denied the allegations.
