A victim and July protester from Kushtia on Monday testified before the International Crimes Tribunal-2, alleging that Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal president Hasanul Haq Inu led attacks on student and public protesters during the July–August 2024 movement.

He claimed that Inu had  directly ordered and instigated the assaults that left several protesters dead, demanding the highest punishment for him.

Md Raisul Haq, 26, from Kodailkati in Gangni, Meherpur, appeared as the first prosecution witness out of the total 20 witnesses in the crimes against humanity case filed over the July incidents in Kushtia.

The tribunal’s special investigation officer and prosecutor, Tanvir Hassan Zoha, told the court that on December 23, 2024, he seized an audio recording of a conversation between Hasanul Haq Inu and Sheikh Hasina from the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre.

Defence lawyers Munjurul Hoque Chowdhury and Masud Salauddin cross-examined prosecution witness Raisul. They are scheduled to cross-examine Zoha on Tuesday.

The two-judge tribunal, chaired by retired district judge Monjurul Basid, adjourned the hearing until then.

Inu remained in the dock during the proceedings.

Raisul said that he took part in the movement while living in a mess at Kali Shankarpur in Kushtia.

On August 5, protesters gathered at 11:00am at Kushtia General Hospital to join the Students March to Dhaka.

About 5,000–6,000 students and locals brought out a procession towards Mazam Chattar. He said that police fired tear shells and Awami League activists again attacked the protesters. Despite this, they continued marching.

Later, 2,000–3,000 protesters took position between Hiron Square and Six Road Square, where police again fired tear shells and Awami League activists launched further attacks.

He said that in the afternoon, a protester named Babu was shot at Hiron Square. He was declared dead after being taken to the hospital.

He said that several others — including Suruj Ali Babu, Babul Farazi, Abdullah Mustakin, and Osama — were also shot dead at Hiron Square and nearby areas on the same day.

He told the tribunal that after August 5, he saw on social media that Jasod president Hasanul Haq Inu had allegedly provoked violence, including ‘shooting protesters if necessary’ and even using explosives to stop the movement, during his telecom conversations with then prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Raisul told the tribunal, that he and other protesters had held a meeting around Kushtia Government College between 11:00pm and 12:00am after then prime minister Sheikh Hasina in a press conference at the Ganabhaban on July 14 following her return from China, branded the quota reform protesters as ‘sons and grandsons of Razakars.’

Raisul said that he and other protesters later came under attack by Detective Branch personnel, Chhatra League activists, and Awami League men when they gathered near the DC Court crossing with 300–400 people.

They scattered but regrouped, after which law enforcers again fired tear shells.

‘A shotgun bullet hit the middle of my forehead,’ he said, adding that he showed the tribunal the injury mark.

He said that after he was shot, his fellow protesters tried to take him to hospital. ‘I told them, ‘Brothers, take my body in a victory procession without burying me,’ he said.

He said his statement went viral on social media and was later published by the online news portal MTV.

Raisul added that after July 18, 2024, they were no longer able to gather for protests.

He said that on August 3, 4, and 5 of 2024, protesters launched large-scale demonstrations in Kushtia.

Around 300 to 400 protesters first brought out a procession from Kushtia General Hospital. Later, the procession grew to 4,000–5,000 people and faced obstruction from Awami League activists and its affiliated groups.

He said the protesters also organised a programme on August 4, where armed activists of the Awami League attacked them.

According to him, Kushtia-2 MP Hasanul Haq Inu, along with AL joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif and Kushtia Sadar upazila chairman Ataur Rahman Ata, directly ordered and instigated the attack.