Bangladesh tribunal implicates police officers in Dhaka protest killings
First probe into 2024 killings accuses top police officials of crimes against humanity; former PM Sheikh Hasina cited for command responsibility
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has named eight former police officers in its first investigation into the deadly crackdown on student protests in 2024, alleging crimes against humanity in the shooting deaths of six people in Dhaka’s Chankharpul area.
The 90-page report, submitted to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office on April 20, follows a six-month investigation into the events of August 5, when police opened fire on unarmed demonstrators from the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement.
Among those killed were Shahriar Khan Anas, Sheikh Mahdi Hasan Junaid, Md Yakub, Md Rakib Howlader, Md Ismamul Haque, and Manik Mia.
Named in the report are former Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Habibur Rahman, Joint Commissioner Sudip Kumar Chakraborty, and five others from Ramna and Shahbagh police divisions.
Four are currently in custody, while the others remain at large.
The report is supported by statements from 79 witnesses and evidence including 19 videos, six death certificates, 11 media reports, and two audio recordings. One audio allegedly captures former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina instructing police to use deadly force.
Another records Commissioner Rahman relaying the command to officers via wireless communication.
According to Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam, senior officers Chakraborty and Akhtarul Islam were present at the scene and issued direct orders to fire. Video evidence has been submitted, he said.
Although not formally charged in this case, Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal are cited under the legal doctrine of “command responsibility.”
The report outlines their alleged roles as planners and instruction-givers, with implementation carried out by police and affiliated political activists.
The prosecutor noted that Hasina’s name will appear in descriptions of broader atrocities, including disappearances and killings across her 15-year rule, and that her role in the Chankharpul killings is being documented for possible future prosecution.
The Chankharpul case is the first of several tribunal investigations linked to the 2024 protests, which erupted over job quota reforms.
A report by the United Nations human rights office earlier this year estimated at least 1,400 deaths during the unrest, many attributed to security forces.
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