Hasina Ordered 'No Treatment', 'No Release' for Uprising Victims

The Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), Muhammad Tajul Islam, revealed today that during a visit to a hospital in late July 2024, then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina allegedly issued orders to prevent treatment and release for victims of the mass uprising. According to Tajul Islam, Hasina instructed hospital authorities not to provide medical care or release anyone, in an attempt to prevent any of the victims from returning to the streets to participate in the anti-government protests.

"We (the prosecution) visited the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedic Rehabilitation (Nitor), also known as Pongu Hospital, to speak with victims of the July-August uprising and their families. The victims receiving treatment there reported that when Sheikh Hasina visited the hospital on July 27, she instructed the hospital staff with a clear order: 'No treatment, no release,'" Tajul said during a press briefing at his office today.

The prosecution has gathered evidence from both victims and medical professionals at the hospital who have confirmed these claims. Tajul further stated, "We have submitted this evidence to the tribunal."

Responding to questions from the media, Tajul also highlighted that hospital authorities were prohibited from conducting autopsies on the bodies of those killed during the uprising. Additionally, death certificates were issued under misleading circumstances, listing causes such as fever or other diseases instead of gunshot wounds. "Even though the victims were shot during police operations, their families were given false death certificates, and any attempt to properly bury the victims or attend their funerals was met with police violence," Tajul said.

The ICT prosecutor explained that the tribunal had questioned the absence of postmortem reports, considering their importance as critical evidence. He stated, "We have informed the tribunal that the authorities forced families to hurriedly bury the martyrs without providing postmortem reports. This is clear evidence of crimes against humanity."

Tajul confirmed that the prosecution would continue to investigate these allegations, using forensic tests to process the gathered evidence before submitting it to the tribunal for further review.