A senior physician at the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital has testified that the majority of patients admitted there following the July uprising had suffered severe head injuries, with many arriving without skulls.
Associate Professor Dr. Mahfuzur Rahman gave his deposition on Wednesday before International Crimes Tribunal-1 as the 13th prosecution witness in the crimes against humanity case against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.
Former IGP Mamun has already confessed to crimes against humanity and turned state witness. He was also produced before the tribunal today.
In his testimony, Dr. Rahman said that the hospital’s outpatient department treated 575 patients with bullet and pellet injuries during the uprising. Although many required hospitalization, they were released due to a shortage of beds and the overwhelming number of critical cases.
A total of 167 severely injured patients were admitted, most of them with missing skulls. Among them, four were brought in dead, while 29 died under treatment. Seven were sent to Thailand for advanced medical care.
Dr. Rahman said he personally performed around 33 surgeries on injured protesters, removing numerous bullets and pellets from their bodies. Some patients requested to keep the extracted objects, though investigators seized two pellets and two bullets as evidence.
He further testified that on July 19 last year, when patient numbers were rising, officers from the police’s Detective Branch (DB) pressured him not to admit new gunshot victims.
“They told me not to be overenthusiastic or I would get into trouble. They also said those already admitted should not be released, as there were higher instructions and legal action could follow,” Dr. Rahman said. As a result, doctors discreetly altered the admission records, registering gunshot wounds as road accident or other injuries to ensure treatment continued.
In his statement, Dr. Rahman held Sheikh Hasina responsible as the “chief instigator” of the crimes against humanity.
He alleged that her orders were carried out by then Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, former State Minister for Information Arafat, and law enforcement personnel who fired indiscriminately on unarmed demonstrators.
He urged the tribunal to deliver justice and capital punishment for those responsible.
