State defence counsel says July Uprising a ‘meticulous design’ to topple govt

The July 2024 mass uprising was part of a "meticulous design to overthrow a legitimate government," state defence counsel for ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina told the International Crimes Tribunal-1 during cross-examination today.

Defence lawyer Md Amir Hossain argued that protesters themselves were conspirators. "Through conspiracy, they targeted and killed people participating in the mass movement in the Chittagong Road area [Siddhirganj]," he told the tribunal.

Hossain was questioning Ali Ahsan Zonaed, convener of United Peoples Bangladesh (UP Bangladesh), who appeared as the 48th prosecution witness in the crimes against humanity case against Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.

The defence maintained that Hasina had shown sincerity in addressing the quota reform issue, but protesters ignored this and instead declared "illegal programmes one after another." Zonaed, however, rejected the claim outright. "This was not true," he responded.

The lawyer further insisted that on July 16, 2024, no students were killed in attacks carried out by Chhatra League activists and police. "This is not true," the witness countered again.

While the defence said universities and other institutions were closed for students' safety, Zonaed said closures were aimed at suppressing the movement.

Hossain argued that since the Appellate Division was scheduled to rule on the quota reform issue on July 21, 2024, the government's call to suspend the protests was evidence of sincerity. He also pointed to campaigns such as changing Facebook profiles to red, "March for Justice," "Remembering Our Heroes," "March to Dhaka," the symbolic extension of July into "32 July," and the one-point demand to oust the government on August 3 as proof of a carefully plotted strategy.

Zonaed dismissed the argument as baseless. "Our programmes reflected just demands. The government had no sincerity; rather, it acted with malice," he told the tribunal.

The defence concluded by asserting that neither Sheikh Hasina nor Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal ordered or were involved in any killings or atrocities during the July uprising.

Zonaed's testimony was recorded yesterday, and cross-examination continued today.