Testimony of Mahmudur Rahman
Editor of Amar Desh

Sheikh Hasina’s fascist government carried out genocide during the July Revolution and committed crimes against humanity. The United Nations Human Rights Council published an investigation report about this. That investigation report clearly mentions that the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and Awami League General Secretary and Minister Obaidul Quader directly ordered the carrying out of the genocide. 

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal held a core committee meeting at his residence every night, where top officials of the police, RAB, and other intelligence agencies participated. In those meetings, they discussed ways to use maximum force against the protesters and the students involved in the movement, and in those meetings, they ensured that shots were fired at the protesters to uphold the authority of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader publicly announced in the media that orders were given to shoot the protesters on sight. 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself instructed that the protesters be killed and their bodies disappeared. The United Nations report proves that the killings occurred by the direct order of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and related senior officials, and the liability for command responsibility falls on each of them. The United Nations report mentions that approximately 1,400 protesters were killed during the July Revolution. This report mainly describes the crimes against humanity committed during the July Revolution. But for 15 years, the fascist regime inflicted unspeakable oppression on the people of Bangladesh, and this was regularly reported in the international sphere and published in the news. The US State Department’s annual Human Rights Report contains descriptions of the lawlessness and crimes against humanity in Bangladesh during Sheikh Hasina’s rule. 

Regarding the three farcical elections held in 2014, 2018, and 2024, the US State Department’s Human Rights Report and resolutions in the European Parliament have also been published. Among the international media, the Al Jazeera report titled “All the Prime Minister’s Men,” which created a stir worldwide, also contains descriptions of the involvement and crimes against humanity committed by Sheikh Hasina, the then Army Chief Aziz Ahmed, and the then security adviser to the Prime Minister, Tarique Ahmed Siddique.

We have learned from world history that no fascist regime could ever be removed through democratic means.

The fascist rulers of Italy and Germany, Mussolini and Hitler, fell after they lost World War II. In the context of the genocide carried out against the people, especially the Jewish community, in Italy and Germany during World War II, a cry arose across the world: “Never Again”—meaning that a cruel fascist ruler like Hitler should never arrive again. Similarly, the rule of a fascist like Sheikh Hasina should not return in the 15 years of governance in Bangladesh.

Thousands of injured July fighters in Sheikh Hasina’s 15 years of rule in Bangladesh are enduring extreme hardship; they want to see the trial of the fascist Sheikh Hasina and those who were in command responsibility in her government. These accused did not take any initiative to stop the said killings and atrocities. All these accused who directly ordered the killing and those who did not take any initiative to stop the said killings and atrocities are covered under command responsibility.

I have witnessed the rise, development, and fall of this fascism for the past 16 years. I have continuously written about this and tried to inform the public through various meetings, seminars, and media speeches. After the July genocide, when this Tribunal was reconstituted, I felt it was my duty as a senior citizen of the state to fully cooperate in establishing justice in the Tribunal. As part of that cooperation, I am testifying before the Tribunal. I want the criminals to be punished, and I hope that the families of the martyrs, the injured July fighters, and their families will find some solace for their grief through justice. Furthermore, I expect that if the trial of the fascist regime is established, future governments will be cautious. Just as “Never Again” was declared after World War II, let this trial ensure that the repetition of the 15 years of misrule does not happen again in Bangladesh.

The Investigating Officer has questioned me. 

This is my deposition.

Cross-examination

It is not true that the vilest fascist in the history of Bangladesh did not fall during the great July 2024 Revolution.

It is not true that I offered thanks to God after the fall of the fascist government due to my hostility toward former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

It is not true that I falsely said that the creation of fascism happened through meticulous planning and that a foreign power was involved in that planning along with the politicians.

It is not true that I said I want to inform the Honorable [Court] by quoting from the autobiographical book of India’s late President Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, ‘The Coalition Years,’ that his conversation with the then Army Chief of Bangladesh, General Moeen U Ahmed, in 2008 is not in the book. This is false. I did not submit the book ‘The Coalition Years’ to the court.

It is not true that I falsely said that the election results were decided in Delhi 10 months before the election.

It is not true that the words I said—that the Awami League’s landslide victory in the 2008 election happened according to the pre-plan of Delhi—are my personal opinion.

It is not true that I falsely said that General Moeen and the DGFI had a direct role behind these election results.

It is not true that the 2008 election mechanism was orchestrated by Brigadier Mamun Khaled, who later became the DGFI chief and was promoted to the rank of General. An attempt was made to defeat the BNP through the DGFI and arranged for the victory of the Awami League through rigging, this statement is false.

It is not true that incidents of promotion through sycophancy did not occur during Sheikh Hasina’s time. The witness later says, no promotion was based on merit during Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule. The report published by the UN Commission clearly mentions that Sheikh Hasina herself used to take the decisions regarding promotions from the post of DIG in the police to all other posts.

It is not true that the UN report described by me has not been proven.

Yes, it is my personal opinion that after Sheikh Hasina came to power, she realized that it was necessary to weaken the patriotic army to establish a fascist rule in Bangladesh. However, as a historian, this is my observation. Sheikh Hasina’s attitude was reflected in the book ‘The Jamdani Resolution’ written by the Indian High Commissioner Mr. Krishnan Srivastavan.

It is not true that the BDR massacre was planned and carried out within just 2 months of Sheikh Hasina coming to power as per the plan. The statement that Sheikh family members and Sheikh Hasina’s very close associate from Dhanmondi, Md. Taposh, were directly involved in this plan, and that Sheikh Taposh and other Awami League leaders created the BDR massacre by conspiring with some BDR members even before the 2008 election, is clearly false or that I told these things to the Investigating Officer.

It is not true that Sheikh Taposh was not involved in the BDR massacre.

It is not true that I falsely said that 27 patriotic officers of the Bangladesh Army were brutally killed in the BDR massacre or that I told these things to the Investigating Officer.

It is not true that the BDR massacre occurred through an army mutiny.

It is not true that the BDR massacre occurred due to a conflict between the army and the BDR.

It is not true that the then Prime Minister called the BDR mutiny false, negotiated with them, or arranged for the trial of those involved in the incident.

It is not true that Sheikh Hasina and S. Fazle Noor Taposh were not involved in the BDR massacre.

It is not true that I said they were involved due to personal vendetta.

It is not true that the BDR mutiny occurred due to personal enmity, including over rations, between the BDR personnel and the army officers working in the BDR.

It is not true that I falsely said that Sheikh Hasina harbored a kind of hatred toward the Bangladesh Army.

It is not true that the writings related to Sheikh Hasina in the book ‘The Jamdani Resolution’ written by former Indian High Commissioner Krishnan Srivastavan are the author’s personal opinion. Sheikh Hasina has no involvement in it. The witness later says that after this book was published in 2009, Sheikh Hasina was in power for 15 years. But Sheikh Hasina never protested any information in the book, which was written in the style of a diary.

It is not true that, in fact, this anti-army feeling of Sheikh Hasina started from the fall of Baksal. The statement that the one-party Baksal rule fell due to the mutiny of a section of the army, all of whom were freedom fighters, is false.

It is not true that the position was established through the assassination of Bangabandhu by a few misguided army officers.

It is not true that this authoritarian rule in the history of Bangladesh…

It is not true that the writings about Sheikh Hasina and other matters in the book ‘The Legacy of Blood’ written by Anthony Mascarenhas are the author’s personal opinion.

It is not true that Sheikh Hasina wanted to break the backbone and morale of the army due to familial anti-army sentiment. … It has been proven in history that Sheikh Hasina succeeded in her plan to use force on the army, this statement is false. [The witness later says, as a historian, this is my observation and analysis.]

It is not true that after controlling the army, the Sheikh Hasina government focused on controlling the judiciary to prolong the fascist rule. The statement that it undermined the independence of the judiciary and turned it into an instrument of state oppression is false.

It is not true that the statement “a farce in the name of independent justice” was not the right thing to do.

It is not true that the said statement was contemptuous of the judiciary. The witness later says that this was proven during Sheikh Hasina’s subsequent 15 years of rule. I correctly warned the nation at that time that Sheikh Hasina, using the DGFI, compelled a sitting Chief Justice to resign and leave the country. Therefore, the entire responsibility for polluting the judiciary lies with the fascist Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

It is not true that filing a contempt of court case against me and arresting me in that case was correct.

It is not true that no farce occurred in the name of justice during the tenure of the previous government.

It is not true that former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia was legally evicted from her cantonment residence.

It is not true that I falsely said that Sheikh Hasina stated at a parliamentary conference that she had decided long ago that if she came to power, she would evict Begum Khaleda Zia from her residence.

It is not true that the fascist government did not pollute the independent judiciary of Bangladesh by adopting a policy of rewarding the Honorable Judges subservient to the government.

It is not true that the caretaker government system was abolished through a democratic process.

It is not true that, according to the plan, a mob culture was created in Shahbagh in the name of the Gonojagoron Moncho. Protests were organized there with the cooperation of… the statement is false.

It is not true that the Gonojagoron Moncho had no connection with the government.

It is not true that the comparison of Sheikh Hasina with Hitler was inappropriate.

It is not true that we see in history… Hitler first (targeted) communists in Germany and later…

It is not true that I falsely said that standing in the parliament, they (the youth) are the second freedom fighters, and she is mentally [affected].

It is not true that I did not tell the Investigating Officer that the then Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, during his visit to Bangladesh, said that if protocol did not stop him, he would have gone to Shahbagh himself to express solidarity.

It is not true that the newspaper Amar Desh was shut down due to its writings against Shahbagh.

It is not true that the demands of Hefazat-e-Islam in 2013 were illogical, which is why the then government did not concede to those demands.

It is not true that on May 5, 2013, Hefazat-e-Islam vandalized, set fire to various structures, and cut down trees in Dhaka city.

It is not true that the government peacefully removed the Hefazat activists to protect the public’s lives and property.

It is not true that no killing took place at Shapla Chattar on May 5, 2013.

It is not true that no case was filed regarding the Shapla Chattar killing before August 5. However, cases regarding the genocide were filed after August 5. After the Shapla Chattar genocide in 2013, when the human rights organization ‘Odhikar’ published a report, the administrative head, Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan, and his assistant, Nasiruddin Elan, were picked up by the DB police, and subsequently, a case was filed against them. The organization was shut down by Sheikh Hasina’s government. Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan and his assistant Nasiruddin Elan were in jail for a long time. Therefore, there was no opportunity to get justice in such a reign of terror. I know of one Shapla martyr whose father was forced to bury him secretly so that he and his family would not be subjected to further harassment by the then fascist government. [False, he finished]. I did not file any case in this regard. However, the most news about the Shapla genocide was published in my newspaper.

It is not true that Sheikh Hasina was not involved in the Skype scandal described by me.

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