Sheikh Hasina accused of coercing false testimony in Sayeedi trial

Three witnesses in the war crimes case against Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayeedi have lodged a complaint with the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) accusing 40 individuals, including Sheikh Hasina, of coercing them into giving false testimony.

The complaint was submitted to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday (September 3) afternoon by Supreme Court lawyer Parvez Hossain on behalf of the witnesses—Mahbubul Alam Howlader, Mahtab Uddin, and Altaf Howlader.

According to the petition, the witnesses alleged they were subjected to torture, threats, and confinement in order to file fabricated cases and provide testimony against Sayeedi. The accused include former ICT Chairman Justice Nizamul Haque Nasim, former Law Minister Shafique Ahmed, former State Minister for Law Kamrul Islam, former tribunal judge Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, and Pirojpur-1 MP AKM Awal, among others.

Lawyer Parvez Hossain told reporters that Mahbubul Alam was forced at gunpoint to lodge a case against Sayeedi in 2009 and later compelled to testify before the tribunal after being held in a so-called “safe home” under Jatrabari Police Station. The two other complainants alleged they faced similar treatment.

The complaint also referenced the testimony of witness Sukharanjan Bali, who in 2012 accused Sheikh Hasina and several others of torture and disappearance in connection with the trial.