Testimony of Parveen

My name is Parveen, age 27. My husband’s name is Rubel Howlader. My father’s name is Chan Mia and my mother’s name is Khuki Begum. We live in Barisal now, but we used to live in the Jatrabari Bazar area of Dhaka. I used to work as a day laborer.

The incident that happened to me occurred on 18 July 2024, shortly before evening, in Jatrabari. Like every day, I was traveling from Jatrabari to my workplace in Jurain by Leguna (a type of local public transport). I worked there until 5 p.m. After finishing my work, I went to the Leguna stand in Jurain. But since no vehicle was available that day, I started walking toward Bashher (Bashabo) area.

[It is understood that she was walking from Jurain to Bashabo via Jatrabari.]

When I reached the Jatrabari area, I saw many people lying on the road, covered in blood—some had lost limbs. Under the flyover, I saw a young boy lying down. He was screaming, “Help me, help me!” Blood was also coming out of both his eyes.

I rushed to him. He was around 18 or 19 years old, wearing a white T-shirt and had an ID card hanging around his neck. As I helped him up, he rested his head on my shoulder. I was looking for a rickshaw to take him to the hospital.

At that moment, 14-15 armed police officers approached us and suddenly started firing indiscriminately. They were firing as if they were in a war zone. I raised my left hand, pleading with them not to shoot. But one of the officers shot me in my left eye.

[At this point, the witness broke down in tears.]

Then, two or three other police officers opened fire again indiscriminately, and I was hit in my lower abdomen and other parts of my body. Blood was pouring out of my eye like a pink-colored fountain. I was writhing in pain.

Eventually, due to excessive bleeding, I collapsed on the road alongside the boy. He held me tightly and took a deep breath—and died right there. I was still struggling in pain.

People came and saw that the boy was dead and I was alive. They took me to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in a CNG auto-rickshaw. Upon arrival, the doctors refused to treat me at first, but due to pressure from the people who brought me, they reluctantly agreed. A nurse came and asked me for 250 taka to buy a drip. I got the drip. Then they left without providing further treatment.

Later, through a woman, I called my husband. He came to the hospital at 10 a.m. the next morning. He pleaded with the doctors to begin my treatment. The doctors gave him a slip to purchase some medical items. My husband went home and sold one of my earrings to buy those items.

I was then taken to the operation theatre and underwent surgery. Later, I was referred to the National Institute of Ophthalmology (Eye Hospital). After three or four days, my husband took me there.

After several tests, the doctors found that there was still a bullet lodged in my eye. They said I needed to be admitted and undergo surgery. I was admitted to the hospital, but no surgery was performed immediately. Finally, after the 5th (August), a surgery was done on my eye, and a large bullet was removed. However, the bullet in my lower abdomen could not be removed.

I am currently eight months pregnant, yet I have come here to give testimony. Due to negligence in treatment, I have lost complete vision in my left eye, and I have very poor vision in my right eye.

I hold Sheikh Hasina solely responsible for my blindness.

The investigating officer questioned me. I told him that Sheikh Hasina is like the mother of the police, and the police fired on her orders.

I also heard from my husband’s mobile that Sheikh Hasina said children of freedom fighters will not get jobs, but Razakars will.

Cross-Examination by Defence Counsel Md. Amir Hossain

Q: Did you submit the bullets that were removed from your body to the court as evidence?

A: No, I did not submit the bullets that were removed from my body to the court.

Q: What about the clothes you were wearing at the time of the incident — were those submitted?

A: No, I did not submit the clothes I was wearing at the time of the incident either.

Q: Are any of those items still in your possession?

A: Only my hijab is still in my possession; it is kept at home.

Q: Where are the bullets that were removed at Dhaka Medical College Hospital?

A: I was not given the bullets that were removed at Dhaka Medical, because at that time the country had not yet become independent / the situation was not stable. 

6th August 2025

The continuation of the cross examination is currently missing