A Jubo Dal leader on Tuesday told the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) that former Narayanganj lawmaker Shamim Osman's son, Ayan Osman, shot and killed a protester during the 2024 July Uprising.

Attacks by Osman and his associates left at least 10 dead, while they also prevented treatment for some of the injured, the witness said.

NRB Mamun, 41, appeared as the second prosecution witness in a crimes against humanity case against Osman, his son and 10 others. 

All 12 accused remain absconding, and the trial is being conducted in absentia.

Testifying before the single-member ICT-1 bench headed by Judge Mohitul Haq Enam Chowdhury, Mamun described a series of attacks on protesters in Narayanganj, alleging that armed men led by Shamim Osman opened fire on demonstrators and obstructed medical treatment for the injured.

Describing the events of August 5, Mamun testified that Shamim Osman, his son and nephew led another armed attack at Chashara intersection, during which Ayan Osman allegedly shot Swajan, who later died after being denied treatment.

A tribunal prosecutor told Daily Waadaa that Mamun testified he was struck by rubber bullets during the violence, while two youths standing beside him – Adil and Yasin – were shot dead on the spot.

The prosecutor also said Mamun testified that a youth named Swajan was shot and later taken to Victoria Hospital, where he was allegedly denied treatment due to prior instructions from Shamim Osman. 

According to the testimony, Swajan died on the way to Dhaka for treatment.

State-appointed defence lawyers Amir Hossain, Ali Haider and Musthavi Hasan Ratul later cross-examined the witness. 

The tribunal fixed August 12 for the next hearing.

Mamun, a resident of Fatullah in Narayanganj and a Jubo Dal leader who also runs a tour and travel business, said he joined the anti-quota movement on July 12, 2024, adding that the protests intensified in Narayanganj after the killing of Abu Sayed in Rangpur on July 16.

He testified that on July 19, at around 3:00pm, nearly 100 armed men allegedly led by Shamim Osman, his son and nephew Ajmeri Osman attacked protesters on Link Road in Jalkuri. 

He further alleged that on July 21, around 150 armed men led by Shamim Osman and his associates attacked demonstrators near Ma Hospital on the Signboard-Chittagong Road, forcing him to flee into the DND canal, where he broke a tooth.

According to the case documents, the tribunal accepted the prosecution's charge sheet on January 19 this year.

The 12 accused face three sets of charges: the July 19 killings of six people in Chashara and Signboard, including Adil, Yasin, student Parvez, garment worker Russel and six-year-old Riya; the July 21 killings of Abdur Rahman and Mohammad Rakib at Bhuigarh bus stand; and the August 5 killings of Badiuzzaman and Abul Hasan. 

As all the accused remain absconding, the tribunal has appointed three state defence lawyers to represent them.