Witness 3: Hashi Akther

The State Defence prayed for an adjournment on the ground that Advocate Aminul Gani Titu had been additionally appointed to represent Colonel Redwan, but he had not yet joined. Therefore, it was not possible for the defence to proceed with the cross-examination on that day. The Tribunal initially granted the adjournment and asked for submission of the adjournment petition. At that stage, the learned junior counsel, Ariful Islam, submitted that they had not yet prepared the petition. Upon this, the Tribunal expressed its dissatisfaction and cancelled the adjournment. The Tribunal then directed that the chief examination be commenced. It was observed by the Tribunal that no prayer can be entertained without prior submission of the necessary written application or documents.

Evidence given by Hashi Akhter

My name is Hashi Akther. My husband’s name is Mohammad Chan Mia. My father’s name is [redacted]. I am 38 years old. My permanent address is [redacted] Munshiganj. My present address is [redacted] Badda.

I am employed as an Office Assistant at the Aftabnagar Power Grid. My only son, Rakib Hossain, also worked at the same office as a cleaner.My son had been participating in the student–people’s movement of 2024 from the very beginning.

On 19.07.2024, as the office was closed, we were asleep. At around 9:30 a.m., my daughter Rupa went to take breakfast for Rakib and found that he was not in his room. She immediately informed me. I then started searching for him around our residence. When I came near the house, I saw my son-in-law, Nur Alam, walking quickly. He told me that Rakib had been shot. While I was outside the house, my brother-in-law, Jasim, informed my daughter over the phone that Rakib had been shot.

My son-in-law and I immediately took a rickshaw and went to Aftabnagar Nagarik Hospital. There, I came to know that Rakib had been shot in front of the Aftabnagar gate, near the slope of Rampura Bridge, where he had been participating in the movement with his friends. At the hospital, I saw that Rakib had sustained a gunshot injury to his abdomen. The doctors at Nagarik Hospital advised that he be taken immediately to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). We then took him to DMCH by ambulance.

At DMCH, he was first taken to the emergency department and then to the ICU. (At this stage, the witness becomes emotional.) When I tried to enter the ICU to see Rakib, I was prevented. Later, I ignored the restriction and entered the ICU, where I saw him unconscious. I kissed his forehead and cheek and told him that he would be alright. When one of my brothers brought blood for Rakib, the hospital authorities informed us that blood was no longer required, as Rakib had already died. (The witness breaks down in tears.)

Thereafter, Rakib’s body was taken from the ICU to the morgue, where an inquest and post-mortem examination were conducted. Subsequently, on 21.07.2024, my son’s body was handed over to us. His funeral prayer was held at a mosque in Aftabnagar. Thereafter, his body was taken to my father’s home in Jhalakathi, where he was buried.

After being shot, one of Rakib’s fellow protesters took him to the hospital by rickshaw. I have a video of that incident, which I am producing and exhibiting before this Tribunal today. The pen drive containing the said video is marked as Material Exhibit-1. The video is 33 seconds long. (In the video, Rakib can be seen lying on the road in a bloodied condition, wearing a maroon T-shirt and blue jeans, after being shot. His fellow protesters are seen trying to carry him on a rickshaw.) At this stage, the witness identifies her deceased son in the video.

I hold the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Colonel Redwan, OC Mashiyur, SI Rashed, Major Rafat, and others involved responsible for the killing of my son. They did not only kill my son, but also many other protesters. They are responsible for my son’s death.

The Investigating Officer has examined me.

This is my statement.

Cross-Examination on behalf of  present Accused Lt. Col. Redwan

[As the learned counsel for Colonel Redwan, Advocate Aminul Gani Titu, was not present to conduct the cross-examination, the Tribunal suggested that any one of the State Defence Counsels present may proceed with the cross-examination on behalf of Colonel Redwan. At this stage, Colonel Redwan stood before the Tribunal and respectfully submitted that due to internal conflicts and lack of coordination among the State Defence Counsels, he, as a client, was being prejudiced. He further submitted that if the cross-examination were to be conducted by any other State Defence Counsel on his behalf, he would suffer further prejudice. The Prosecution, however, prayed that the cross-examination be completed on that very day.

In response, the Tribunal observed that it would consider the “balance of convenience and inconvenience” in deciding the matter—that is, the extent of convenience to the Prosecution if the cross-examination is completed today, and the extent of inconvenience or prejudice to the accused. Thereafter, learned Prosecutor Tamim submitted that had the State Defence informed the matter earlier, the Prosecution would not have proceeded with the examination-in-chief. He further suggested that since the witness had to appear before the Tribunal repeatedly, appropriate costs may be imposed upon the other side.

The cross examination on behalf of Colonel Redwan has been postponed for next date

Cross-Examination on behalf of Absconding Accused Md. Rashedul Islam and Md. Mashiur

Defence: Prior to giving your deposition before this Tribunal today, did you make any statement anywhere other than to the Investigating Officer?
PW: Before giving my deposition before this Tribunal today, I did not make any statement to anyone other than the Investigating Officer.

Defence: There are inconsistencies between the statement you gave to the Investigating Officer and the deposition you have given today.
PW: It is not true that there are any inconsistencies between the statement I gave to the Investigating Officer and the deposition I have given today.

Defence: While you were at your house, how did you first come to know about the incident that Rakib had been shot?
PW: While my son-in-law, Nur-e-Alam, was at our house, my brother-in-law, Jasim, called my daughter on her mobile phone and informed her that Rakib had been shot. That is how she came to know.

Defence: What treatment was given to Rakib at Nagarik Hospital?
PW: Rakib was given primary treatment at Nagarik Hospital. A bandage was applied to his abdomen to stop the bleeding.

Defence: Did Nagarik Hospital provide you with any documents?
PW: No, Nagarik Hospital did not provide me with any documents.

Defence: Rakib was not taken to Nagarik Hospital?
PW: It is not true that Rakib was not taken to Nagarik Hospital.

Defence: Did you submit the  documents you had been provided  from Dhaka Medical College Hospital to the Investigating Officer?
PW: I submitted the documents provided by Dhaka Medical College Hospital to the Investigating Officer.

Defence: Were you present at the time of the inquest?
PW: No, I was not present at the time of the inquest.

Defence: Do you know who were the witnesses to the inquest report?
PW: I do not know who were the witnesses to the inquest report.

Defence: Was a post-mortem examination conducted on your son’s body?
PW: Yes, a post-mortem examination was conducted on my son’s body.

Defence: Did you file any General Diary (GD) regarding your son’s death?
PW: No, I did not file any GD regarding my son’s death. Later, I heard that a person named Shahadat had filed a case. The PBI called me in connection with the investigation of that case. Later, when I came to know that a case had been filed before this Tribunal, that case was stayed.

Defence: Do you know who were accused in that case?
PW: I do not know who were the accused in that case.

Defence: Did you provide any copy of that case to the Investigating Officer?
PW: No, I did not provide any copy of that case to the Investigating Officer.

Defence: In the video you submitted today, the person who fired the shots cannot be seen?
PW: It is true that the person who fired the shots cannot be seen in the video submitted today.

Defence: The  video  you submitted today is AI-generated?
PW: It is not true that the video I submitted today is AI-generated.

Defence: Were Rakib’s clothes collected from the hospital morgue?
PW: No, Rakib’s clothes were not collected from the hospital morgue.

Defence: You falsely identified your deceased son in the video submitted today?
PW: It is not true that I falsely identified my deceased son in the video submitted today.

Defence: Did you see OC Mashiyur and ADC Rashed shoot your son?
PW: No, I did not see OC Mashiyur and ADC Rashed shoot my son.

Defence: You are implicating them under the influence of others?
PW: It is not true that I am implicating them under the influence of others.

Defence: The accused persons are innocent?
PW: It is not true that the accused persons are innocent.

15 April 2026.

Cross-examination on behalf of  present accused Colonel Redowanul Islam

Defence: Where is your father-in-law’s residence?
PW: The address  I mentioned in Munshiganj is my father-in-law’s residence.

Defence: Since when have you been in employment?
PW: I have been in employment since 2016.

Defence: What is Rakib’s educational qualification?
PW: Rakib studied up to Class Four.

Defence: What was his age at the time he joined as a cleaner?
PW: I do not recall his age when he joined as a cleaner in 2018.

Defence: What is your educational qualification?
PW: I studied up to Class Six.

Defence: Who is elder—Rakib or your daughter Rupa?
PW: My son Rakib was older than my daughter Rupa.

Defence: What were Rakib’s duty hours?
PW: Rakib’s duty hours were from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., whereas mine were from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Defence: When did you meet your son-in-law, Nur-e-Alam, near your residence?
PW: I met him approximately 10–15 minutes before 12:00 noon near my residence.

Defence: What is the distance between your residence and Nagarik Hospital?
PW: It takes approximately 15 minutes to reach Nagarik Hospital on foot from my residence.

Defence: How long after reaching the hospital did you take Rakib to Dhaka Medical College Hospital?
PW: Immediately upon arrival at Nagarik Hospital, we took him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Defence: How long before your arrival had Rakib been taken to Nagarik Hospital?
PW: He had been taken there approximately half an hour before our arrival.

Defence: For how long did you stay at Dhaka Medical College Hospital?
PW: We remained there from 19th to 21st of July 2024.

Defence: Who accompanied you at Dhaka Medical College Hospital?
PW: My sister Khushi Akter, her husband Jasim Howlader, my son-in-law Nure Alam, and a colleague from my office, namely Kamal Hossain.

Defence: Did you file any case regarding the killing of your son?
PW: No member of my family filed any case; however, I heard that someone else did.

Defence: Did the person who filed the case meet you?
PW: No, he did not meet me. However, I received a call from the PBI office.

Defence: Did the person from PBI record your statement?
PW: Yes, he recorded my statement.

Defence: Did Rakib use a mobile phone?
PW: Yes, he did.

Defence: Did Rakib record any video on 19.07.2024 ?
PW: I do not know.

Defence: Was Rakib’s mobile phone handed over to the Investigating Officer (IO)?
PW: No, it was not handed over, as the phone had been damaged. I broke it myself.

Defence:  You did not state to the Investigating Officer that your son had participated in the student movement from the very beginning.
PW: It is not true that I  did not state to the Investigating Officer that my son had participated in the student movement from the very beginning.

Defence: Are you able to state what the movement was initially about?
PW: I am unable to say what the movement was initially about.

(At this stage, upon being shown the video submitted by the witness, the witness broke down in tears.)

Defence: Did you provide the pen drive containing the video to the Investigating Officer?
PW: No, I did not.

Defence: Do you know who recorded the video?
PW: No. A contractor from my office sent it to me via WhatsApp; he was acquainted with my son.

Defence: On which date did that contractor send the video?
PW: I do not remember.

Defence: Did you receive the video before or after 30.12.2024?
PW: I do not remember.

Defence: Did you receive the video before or after giving your statement to the Investigating Officer?
PW: I received it the day after giving my statement.

Defence: Did you contact the Investigating Officer after receiving the video?
PW: Yes, I informed him about it.

Defence: Neither you nor your family members know where and when Rakib was shot.
PW: It is not true that neither I nor my family members know where and when Rakib was shot.

Defence: You do not know the names of those who were with Rakib at the time he was shot.
PW: It is not true I do not know the names of those who were with Rakib at the time he was shot.

Defence: Rakib was not involved in the movement.
PW: It is not true that Rakib was not involved in the movement.

Defence: You have deposed as instructed by the Investigating Officer .
PW: It is not true that I have deposed as instructed by the Investigating Officer .

Defence: You have given evidence without having knowledge of the incident.
PW:  It is not true that I have given evidence without having knowledge of the incident.

Cross-examination on behalf of the present accused Major Rafat Bin Mun
(Previous cross-examination of colonel Redowanul was adopted)

Defence (Suggestion): You mentioned the name of Major Rafat Bin Mun as instructed by the Investigating Officer.
PW: It is not true that I mentioned the name of Major Rafat Bin Mun as instructed by the Investigating Officer.

Next date fixed: 21.04.2026