Witness Sakib Ahmed Tulon told Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Monday that former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former food minister Kamrul Islam and Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon were responsible for the deaths of 23 people in the Rampura and Badda areas during the July uprising. He made the claim while testifying in a case against Kamrul and Menon over the killings in Rampura. It was the second day of his testimony, following his first appearance on June 23.

Tulon said he was stopped by police, the army and Border Guard Bangladesh at Rampura Bridge on August 3, 2024, while trying to join a Shahid Minar programme. On August 4, he said protesters gathered near BRAC University and headed toward Shahbagh, where he saw police and activists of Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League throwing cocktails and bricks. He said an unidentified boy beside him was shot in the right shoulder.

He said police fired indiscriminately near Badda police station on August 5 and that he heard one local person was shot in the head. Tulon said he later learned through media reports about a meeting on the July 19 curfew and sought exemplary punishment for those he said ordered or advised the violence.