DHAKA – Former Inspector General of Police, Chowdhury Abdullah Mamun, has confessed to committing crimes against humanity during a violent government crackdown on student-led protests in 2024. The shocking admission came during the reopening of court proceedings on Thursday.
The confession is part of an ongoing trial at Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), which is prosecuting former officials from Sheikh Hasina’s ousted government and her now-banned Awami League party. According to UN estimates, nearly 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024 during efforts to suppress the protests.
Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam stated that Mamun has promised full cooperation and is expected to share detailed information about the atrocities committed during the unrest. The tribunal also approved a separate secure residence for Mamun due to safety concerns.
On the same day, the tribunal formally indicted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. Lawyers failed to convince the court to dismiss the charges, which include conspiracy, incitement, and failure to prevent mass killings. Hasina, now 77, fled to India by helicopter after the protests toppled her 15-year rule.
The trial began on June 1 in her absence, following her refusal to respond to an extradition order. Earlier this month, Hasina was also sentenced to six months in jail in a separate contempt of court case. Her former interior minister is also believed to be hiding in India.
Meanwhile, a human rights group has accused the Bangladeshi government of ignoring over 2,400 crimes against religious minorities. The Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council said attacks included murder, rape, temple destruction, and looting between August 2023 and June 2024. They claim these attacks continued even under the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus.
The council criticized the government for excluding minorities from reform commissions, despite the commissions’ stated aim to eliminate discrimination. General Secretary Monindra Kumar Nath said, “The attackers are enjoying impunity while our concerns are dismissed as lies and exaggerations.”