July uprising trial: Quader ordered BCL leaders Saddam, Inan to attack protesters
The prosecution on Thursday sought the highest punishment for seven senior leaders of the now-banned Awami League, including its General Secretary Obaidul Quader, in a case over crimes against humanity, alleging that he ordered Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) President Saddam Hossain and General Secretary Wali Asif Inan over the phone to launch attacks on student protesters during the July uprising.
The plea was made before a three-member bench of the International Crimes Tribunal-2, headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, during the prosecution's closing arguments.
During the hearing, prosecutors submitted what they described as a "significant" phone call recording in which they alleged Quader instructed BCL leaders to attack protesting students.
In the audio recording presented before the tribunal, Quader is allegedly heard repeatedly urging the student leaders to take aggressive action.
Addressing Saddam, Quader allegedly says: "Why aren't you beating them?"
When Saddam reportedly responds that police had prevented them from doing so, Quader is heard repeating: "Why aren't you beating them? Beat them. That will weaken them from the ground up."
The recording also allegedly captures Saddam saying that they had intended to confront the protesters politically but were prevented from advancing towards Shahbagh and other protest sites because of instructions from police and senior officials.
"Sir, we were told not to go towards Shahbagh or confront them. We were repeatedly instructed not to do so," Saddam is heard saying.
When Quader asks who gave the instruction, Inan allegedly replies: "The police and Biplob Da told us."
Quader then responds with apparent surprise, saying: "Biplob wasn't supposed to say that."
The prosecution also submitted another phone recording, allegedly from July 13, 2024, in which Quader again contacted Saddam to inquire about the protest movement.
Saddam reportedly informed him that around 3,000 students had joined the programme and would announce their next course of action at around 8:30pm.
According to the prosecution, such repeated messages from the party's general secretary encouraged and emboldened BCL activists to carry out violent attacks on protesters.
The other accused in the case are Awami League Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, former State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat, Jubo League Chairman Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, its General Secretary Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil, Bangladesh Chhatra League President Saddam Hossain and General Secretary Wali Asif Inan.
All the accused are currently fugitives.
The prosecution began its closing arguments on August 4.
Presenting arguments before the tribunal, Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim said the crimes committed during the July-August uprising were not isolated incidents but "planned, organised and systematic crimes" carried out across the country.
He argued that the Awami League's central leadership, law enforcement agencies and the party's affiliated organisations acted in coordination to suppress the movement.
According to the prosecution, after then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina labelled the protesting students as "Razakars", Quader instructed BCL to take to the streets. Shortly afterwards, BCL and Jubo League activists allegedly launched coordinated armed attacks at Dhaka University and elsewhere across the country, resulting in numerous deaths.
The tribunal completed recording the testimony of 28 prosecution witnesses, including the investigating officer, on August 2.
The tribunal took cognisance of the charges filed by the prosecution on December 18, 2025, and formally indicted the seven accused on January 22 this year.