Thread by @bidrohi24

𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙:

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧 𝙄𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙅𝙪𝙡𝙮 19, 2024, 𝙞𝙣 𝙍𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚. 𝙄𝙨 𝘽𝙂𝘽 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙩?

1/ The incident: On July 19, 2024, at 9:46 AM, 24-year-old Ramzan stood in a crowd on Rampura’s Wabda Road, unaware that a military-grade rifle was aimed at him. Video footage captured gunfire at 2:38. At least 23 people were killed that day in Rampura and Banashree.

2/ Investigation Details: on investigation, with help from Tech Global Institute, analyzed over 200 photos and videos from Rampura. Using digital patterns, weapon types, and location data, daily star reconstructed the events, revealing how state forces fired on unarmed civilians.

3/ State Forces Involved: The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) 5th and 26th Battalions, led by Lt. Col. Redwanul Islam, were deployed. Evidence from The Daily Star shows Lt. Col. Redwan directly fired at the crowd.

4/ Government Orders: On July 18, a core committee led by then-Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan ordered lethal force. BGB’s Director General, Major General Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, instructed the use of deadly weapons to suppress the protests.

5/ Eyewitness Accounts: Witnesses saw BGB and police firing while advancing in Rampura. A 17-year-old student, Samudra, was shot around 3 PM. His family was told to rush to Delta Hospital, where he was critically injured.

6/ More Victims: Nadim was killed in Meradia after protests escalated. Kamrul was shot in the leg in Banashree, requiring amputation after delayed treatment. A 14-year-old student, Ashikul, was fatally shot in the head in Banashree’s J Block.

7/ Video Evidence: Footage shows a BGB officer in a tactical vest firing in Banashree’s J Block. Analysis confirmed this was Lt. Col. Redwan, matching his uniform and actions in Rampura’s DIT Road. No executive magistrate was present, despite legal requirements.

8/ Official Documents: A government report claims 972 rounds were fired in Rampura on July 19, with Lt. Col. Redwan named as a shooter. However, our footage shows no magistrate was present, contradicting official claims. BGB later admitted to the firing.

9/ Aftermath: Lt. Col. Redwan faced a six-month seniority reduction and was returned to the army for further action. Families of victims, like rickshaw driver Ismail Hossain, still await justice one year later.

10/ Call for Justice: The victims’ families are left grieving, unsure when justice will be served. “Who will give justice for my father?” one family member cried. The events of July 19 remain a dark chapter in Bangladesh’s history.