During the mass uprising in July-August last year, most of the 167 critically injured people admitted to the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital were found with their skulls missing, according to court testimony by Associate Professor Dr. Md. Mahfuzur Rahman.
Dr. Rahman gave his statement on Wednesday before the International Crimes Tribunal-1, presided over by Justice Golam Mortuza Mojumder, in a case filed against Sheikh Hasina and two others for crimes against humanity.
The physician testified that 575 gunshot and bullet-hit patients were treated in the outpatient department and released due to seat shortages, even though many required admission.
“A total of 167 severely injured were admitted. Most of them had no skulls. Four were brought dead and 29 later died under treatment. Seven patients from the ICU were transferred to Thailand for advanced care,” he said.
Dr. Rahman added that he personally led 33 major surgeries, removing around 15 bullets and pellets from the bodies of protestors. Some bullets could not be extracted, while in many cases patients requested to keep the removed bullets and pellets.
He also revealed that on July 19 last year, when the number of injured was rising, officials from the Detective Branch (DB) pressured him not to admit new gunshot victims. They insisted that admitted patients should not be released, citing “higher orders,” and threatened legal action against the victims.
To bypass this, doctors recorded many gunshot wounds as road accidents or other causes in the admission register.
In his testimony, Dr. Rahman demanded public execution of those who ordered and carried out the indiscriminate shootings on unarmed protestors, naming Sheikh Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, former State Minister for Information Mohammad A Arafat, and others.
The prosecution team, led by Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam and assisted by Mizanul Islam and Gazi S H Tamim, presented the testimony.
State-appointed lawyer Amir Hossain appeared for fugitive accused Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.
Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, present in custody as a prosecution witness, was represented by lawyer Zayed Bin Amzad.
On July 10 this year, the tribunal framed charges against Sheikh Hasina, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former IGP Abdullah Al-Mamun in this crimes against humanity case, officially opening trial proceedings.
Beyond this trial, Sheikh Hasina faces two more cases at the tribunal: one for enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings during Awami League’s 15-year rule, and another over the killings during Hefazat-e-Islam’s Shapla Chattar rally in Motijheel.
Allegations continue that, during July–August last year, Awami League government forces, party cadres, and loyal sections of law enforcement carried out mass killings and crimes against humanity in suppressing the student–people’s movement. The two International Crimes Tribunals are now conducting proceedings into these charges.
Associate Professor Dr. Md. Mahfuzur Rahman of the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital told the International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Wednesday that during the July–August student uprising last year, most of the 167 critically injured patients admitted to his hospital had no skulls. He was testifying in a case against Sheikh Hasina and others for crimes against humanity.
Dr. Rahman said a total of 575 people with gunshot and bullet injuries were treated at the hospital’s outpatient department and released because of seat shortages, although many required admission. Among those admitted, four arrived dead, 29 died under treatment, and seven were later sent to Thailand from the ICU for advanced care. He personally conducted 33 operations, removed around 15 bullets and pellets, and noted that in several cases patients requested to keep the bullets taken from their bodies. Some bullets could not be removed.
In his statement, the doctor recalled that on July 19, when the number of injured kept rising, members of the police Detective Branch pressured him not to admit new gunshot victims. They also instructed that those already admitted must not be released, saying there were higher orders and that legal cases would be filed against the victims. To ensure treatment, he and his colleagues changed entries in the admission register, recording many gunshot injuries as road accidents or other causes.
He concluded by demanding justice and public execution of those responsible for ordering and carrying out indiscriminate shootings on unarmed protestors, naming Sheikh Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Obaidul Quader, former State Minister for Information Arafat, and others.
