The High Court on Wednesday, ruled that all individuals involved in firing from helicopters and those who issued orders during the nationwide protests in July are guilty of criminal acts. The court also stated that anyone connected to this operation is also culpable.
The ruling came from a bench led by Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif during a hearing on a writ petition concerning the helicopter shootings that occurred during the quota reform movement. The court noted that the official report from the Judicial Inquiry Commission had previously blamed the protesters for the incidents. A decision on the writ petition is expected on Thursday.
The writ petition, filed by Advocate Taimur Alam Khandaker on August 1, sought an investigation into the deaths of nine children and requested Tk1 crore in compensation for each affected family. It also called for compensation for any additional child fatalities that might be discovered. Additionally, the petition asked for the formation of a three-member investigative committee.
When the petition was first presented on August 4, the bench of Justice Mostafa Zaman Islam and Justice SM Masud Hossain Dolon declined to hear it, suggesting that political issues should be resolved through other means. Subsequently, a different bench began hearings on the writ petition, which sought to end direct police firing on protesters, but the High Court ultimately dismissed it.
