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Published : 03 Aug 2025, 11:52 AM
Former inspector general of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun has been produced before the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) as a state witness in a case over crimes against humanity committed to suppress the July Uprising.
He was brought to the tribunal from Keraniganj Central Jail around 9:25am on Sunday.
The tribunal, headed by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, is set to hear the prosecution’s opening statement, which will be broadcast live.
On Jul 10, Tribunal-1 ordered the trial of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and former IGP Mamun to begin on five charges related to the suppression of the 2024 protests.
Among the accused, only Mamun is in custody. The other two are being tried in absentia, with state-appointed lawyer Amir Hossain representing them. Jaiad Bin Amjad is defending Mamun.
Mamun had previously admitted to the charges and applied to become a state witness, a request that the tribunal accepted. The prosecution has listed 81 witnesses, including two interim government advisors and the editor of a national daily.
MAMUN'S TURN AS STATE WITNESS
On the day charges were framed, the tribunal granted Mamun’s plea to become a state witness. In contrast, the lawyers for Hasina and Kamal, both declared absconders, had sought acquittal on their behalf.
Mamun did not seek acquittal. Instead, he admitted guilt and offered to assist the tribunal by providing detailed information about the crimes. The tribunal read out the charges to him and asked whether he accepted responsibility, to which he replied affirmatively, pledging to help uncover the full truth.
His lawyer also requested that Mamun be kept separately in custody for his safety, which the court agreed to consider.
Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam later told reporters that Mamun had accepted his guilt and expressed willingness to testify fully about the crimes committed during the anti-government protests in July and August 2024.
“He has asked to be treated as an approver and assist the tribunal in uncovering the facts,” Tajul said.
Asked whether Mamun would be granted immunity, the chief prosecutor said: “If his testimony reveals the full truth, the court may pardon him or issue another order.”
In legal terms, a state witness or “approver” is someone who was directly or indirectly involved in a crime or had knowledge of it, and who agrees to testify fully in exchange for possible immunity.
The charges include incitement, provocation, and command responsibility for the killing of 1,400 people, along with participation in a joint criminal enterprise.
The prosecution has submitted audio recordings and other evidence, including one of Hasina allegedly ordering the use of lethal force against protesters.
This marks the start of the first trial against Hasina for crimes against humanity in the same court her former government established to try war crimes committed during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War.
