Published : 06 Aug 2026, 10:46 PM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:30 AM
The prosecution has submitted an audio call recording as evidence against seven senior leaders, including Obaidul Quader, the general secretary of the now-banned Awami League, on the second day of closing arguments in a case over crimes against humanity committed during the July Mass Uprising.
The prosecution claims the recording captures a conversation between the former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader and Saddam Hossain, then president of the Bangladesh Chhatra League.
The recording was presented on Thursday before the judicial panel of the International Crimes Tribunal-2, headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury.
In the audio played in court, Saddam is heard briefing the then minister on the programmes, gatherings, and planned press conference by the protesting students.
After hearing about the students' activities, Quader is heard saying: "Why aren't you doing anything? Why aren't you beating them? Why aren't you attacking them? Why are you letting them advance?"
In response, Saddam says they had been instructed not to take action. Quader then replies, "You said things would ease up from today. Where has anything eased up? These gatherings mean Jamaat and the BNP have joined in."
Saddam responds that if they were given instructions to deal with the situation politically, they could do so. However, he says they had repeatedly been instructed by the police and "Biplob Da" not to head toward Shahbagh or confront the protesters that day.
After the hearing, Prosecutor Gazi M H Tamim told reporters that the recording, dated Jul 11, 2024, had been forensically examined by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) before being submitted to the tribunal.
He argued that a political party's general secretary telling subordinates— "Why aren't you beating them? Why aren't you attacking them? Why are you letting them advance?" is tantamount to incitement under the International Crimes Tribunal Act.
The prosecutor added, "Publicly, they spoke of resistance. But in their phone conversations and in practice, what they were actually advocating was not resistance, but attack."
The prosecutor claimed that following then prime minister Sheikh Hasina's "Razakar" remark on Jul 14, 2024, it was Obaidul Quader's alleged incitement that led members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League to carry out an armed attack on more than 300 students and civilians at the University of Dhaka and Dhaka Medical College on Jul 15.
He also said that Quader is identified as an "instigator" in a United Nations report.
According to Prosecutor Tamim, the attacks and killings during the July Mass Uprising were not the result of a single order but rather an organisational decision made by the Awami League.
During the closing arguments, the prosecution also presented a phone conversation between then prime minister Sheikh Hasina and Maksud Kamal, the then Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dhaka.
Responding to questions from the tribunal, the prosecutor said that the investigation into the Jul 15 incident involving Maksud Kamal, Zafar Iqbal, and several others is nearing completion.
Besides Obaidul Quader, the six other absconding defendants in the case are—AFM Bahauddin Nasim, joint general secretary of the Awami League, Mohammad Ali Arafat, former state minister for information and broadcasting, Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, president of the Jubo League, Saddam Hossain, president of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, Sheikh Wali Asif Enan, general secretary of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, and Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil, general secretary of the Jubo League.
The closing arguments began on Aug 2, after testimony from the investigating officer and 28 witnesses had concluded. The next hearing for closing arguments is scheduled for Sunday.
