Khokon Chandra gives first testimony against Hasina

Khokon Chandra Barman, who was severely injured during the July mass uprising, has become the first witness to testify against Sheikh Hasina at the International Crimes Tribunal. He was shot by police, resulting in the disfigurement of his face and the loss of his left eye, nose, and parts of his mouth.

On Sunday, Khokon Chandra appeared before the tribunal and recounted the brutal violence inflicted upon him, along with the killings he witnessed in the Jatrabari police station area. He held Sheikh Hasina, former Road Transport and Bridges Minister , former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former MP Shamim Osman, and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun responsible for the atrocities.

Testifying before the tribunal, Khokon said: "On August 5, 2024, in front of the Jatrabari police station, the police shot me, destroying my left eye, nose, and mouth. Thousands were killed. I saw many people being gunned down before my eyes. Sheikh Hasina, 'Kauwa' Quader, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Shamim Osman, and Abdullah Al-Mamun are responsible for injuring me and killing thousands of others."

When the prosecution asked him to clarify who he meant by "Kauwa Quader," he repeatedly said that he was referring to Obaidul Quader. The courtroom briefly erupted in mild laughter at this point.

Meanwhile, Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam stated that the evidence of crimes committed by Sheikh Hasina during the suppression of the July movement is so clear and compelling that there will be no room for reasonable doubt in the trial. He made this comment while presenting the prosecution's opening statement in the case concerning crimes against humanity committed during the July-August mass uprising, which implicates Sheikh Hasina and two other accused.