She searched through 300 bodies before recognising son by his clothes, ICT witness tells court
Her son, Mohammad Ismail, had gone to join the student movement soon after Friday prayers on July 19, 2024.
Taslima Akhter waited anxiously. The first call came four hours later.
Her son had been shot. She rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where she searched through hundreds of bodies before identifying her 30-year-old son by his clothes.
On Monday, while recounting the killing at the International Crimes Tribunal, Taslima repeatedly broke down in tears.
She testified as the tenth witness in a case involving crimes against humanity committed in July–August 2024, before the single-member bench of Tribunal-1, presided over by Judge Md Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury.
A timeline of tragedy
Taslima Akter, a native of Bhairab upazila in Kishoreganj, currently lives with her family in the capital's Mohammadpur area.
On July 19, 2024, after Friday prayers and lunch, Ismail left home at 3pm to join the student-public movement in front of a glass factory beside Allah Karim Mosque.
In her testimony, Taslima said that at around 7:30pm, Ismail's friend Monir called her, saying he had seen Ismail in front of Allah Karim Mosque and urging him to return home quickly.
However, Ismail stayed at the protest site. A short while later, his aunt Akleema tried to contact him, but he did not answer. She then called his friend Kalu, who told her, “Ismail has been shot. He is being taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.”
Taslima set off for the hospital from Dhaka Udyan by rickshaw, accompanied by her daughter.
Along the way, they encountered fires and violence on the streets. In her testimony, she said she saw influential political figures of the time and local cadres brandishing weapons and parading around.
A desperate search
They arrived at Dhaka Medical College Hospital at around 10pm, where they saw hundreds of injured and dead people crowded into the emergency department. After searching every floor, Taslima identified Ismail with the help of a doctor who showed her a photograph on a mobile phone.
Doctors then took her to the morgue, where she saw 300 to 400 bodies piled on top of one another. She ultimately recognised her son by his clothes. According to her testimony, Ismail had been shot in the head.
The hospital authorities told her the body could not be handed over until the police or the officer-in-charge of the relevant police station arrived.
At around 11am the following day, Sub-Inspector Saiful of Mohammadpur Police Station arrived at the hospital. After a lengthy process, relatives brought Ismail's body home at 7pm.
Taslima also alleged that she was forced to sign a document on the condition that no case would be filed against the hospital. Ismail was later given a ritual bath and funeral prayers at Chhata Mosque before being buried at Azimpur Cemetery.
28 accused in the case
A total of 28 people have been accused in the case involving crimes against humanity committed in Mohammadpur during the July–August 2024 mass uprising. They include former minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak and former Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh.
During her testimony, Taslima named former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and several local political leaders, councillors and their associates in connection with her son's killing. She repeatedly broke down in tears and demanded justice for Ismail.
She held Hasina, Taposh, Nanak, Commissioner Asif, Commissioner Rajib, Russell, Molla Rubel, Commissioner Asif's personal secretary Biplob, Biplob Kumar, Saikat, Sajjad Palash, Sattar, Mohammad Ismail, Rashtran, Rawshan and others responsible for her son's killing.
Four accused have been arrested and are in jail: Naimul Hasan Russell, president of the banned Chhatra League's Mohammadpur thana unit; vice-president Sajjad Hossain; Ansar member Omar Faruk; and Jubo League activist Fazle Rabbi. The remaining accused are absconding.