A United Nations investigative report states that law enforcement agencies fired indiscriminately during the July-August uprising under the orders of fugitive Sheikh Hasina.
The report also highlights evidence of involvement from senior government officials, including Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan. It is scheduled for release in Geneva today at 2:30 PM Bangladesh time, but details have surfaced through various sources beforehand.
According to the findings, Sheikh Hasina instructed the arrest, killing, and disappearance of movement coordinators during a meeting with senior officials on July 19 of the previous year. A core committee, comprising officials from law enforcement and intelligence agencies, was formed, and regular meetings were held with the then Home Minister from July 20 onward.
The UN report estimates that approximately 1,400 people were killed and around 11,700 injured. The investigative team found evidence that unarmed civilians were shot with SKS, Type 56, and BD-Zero Eight rifles, using 7.62mm ammunition.
