International Crimes Tribunal-Bangladesh’s former chief prosecutor, Barrister Turin Afroze, who was instrumental in sentencing war criminals linked to Al-Badr, Jamaat-e-Islami, and other extremist groups to death, was targeted in the violence on August 5. Following Sheikh Hasina’s departure from Bangladesh, extremists took advantage of the chaos in Dhaka and invaded Turin Afroze’s home. They cut her hair and inflicted wounds on her legs with a pencil.
During a conversation with Aajtak, Turin Afroze shared her horrifying experience of that day. According to Afroze, the extremists questioned her about why she didn’t wear a hijab and why she didn’t leave for India with her mother, Sheikh Hasina. She responded that she would rather die than leave Bangladesh. She agreed to wear a hijab to avoid enraging the extremists, fearing they could kill her if she disagreed.
Extremists broke into the home of Barrister Turin Afroze
During the 1971 Liberation War, Turin Afroze oversaw many trials against collaborators (those who sided with Pakistan during the liberation) for crimes against humanity. She has faced two attacks. Afroze mentioned to Aajtak that she has diabetes and was accompanied by her 16-year-old daughter when extremists invaded her home. ‘I was terrified. If they had raped her, what would I have done as a mother?’ she disclosed. The extremists were mostly aged between 18 and 25 years old.
Extremists asked Turin: Why didn’t Modi invite you?
Afroze recounted, ‘The extremists asked me why I didn’t go with Hasina and why Modi didn’t invite me. I told them my mother, father had left, but I wasn’t called. I’m not going anywhere; I’ll stay in this country.’ The extremists demanded she broadcast live on social media that she falsely accused individuals of war crimes at the International Crimes Tribunal under Hasina’s direction.
Extremists cut Turin’s hair, wounded her with a pencil
In her interview with Aajtak, Barrister Afroze asserted, ‘I will never leave Bangladesh; this is my home. Despite studying abroad, I returned to serve the people here.’ She was kept confined in her house until August 7. Afroze showed her cut hair and the marks on her legs inflicted by the pencil, which left dark scars.
In the interim, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement has called for the prosecution of those involved in the nationwide killings and attacks. They are organizing a ‘Resistance Week’ campaign, demanding Sheikh Hasina’s prosecution and pledging to hold a road march to places where students lost their lives in the movement.
The students’ four-point demands are...
1.
A special tribunal should be established to expedite hearings on ‘murders’ committed by the fascist Hasina, her party, and administration using a fascist framework.
2.
Grand Alliance participants, including the Awami League and its allies, must be brought to justice regarding the mass insurrection suppression through planned murders, robberies, and lootings, and they must address the legitimate demands of the minorities.
3.
Those in the administration and judiciary who validated attacks, trials, and killings of student revolts and perpetuated a fascist regime should be swiftly dismissed, nullified, and brought to justice.
4.
Authorities in the administration and judiciary departments (who assisted during the student movement) should be prosecuted. The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement is set to begin filing cases against individuals involved in killings and attacks across the country starting tomorrow. They are collecting data on the injured and deceased students.
