I Did Everything on Orders: DB Harun
Harun’s Removal: ‘Fascist’ Quader-Kamal Phone Conversation Leaked
The International Crimes Tribunal has received a series of explosive audio recordings that reveal the involvement of prominent members of the former Awami League administration, including Detective Branch (DB) Chief Harun-or-Rashid, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and then-Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, in connection with crimes against humanity committed during the July mass uprising.
According to one of the audio tapes that were provided to the tribunal, Mr. Obaidul Quader and Mr. Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal talked about former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s relentless orders to remove Mr. Harun from his job as head of the Detective Branch over the course of seven days. Mr. Kamal acknowledged that he was worn out from voicing similar concerns about institutional violence, repeating Mr. Quader’s serious concern that moving him during a crucial political crisis would demoralise the entire police force.
In another phone call recording between Mr. Quader and the former DB chief, a distressed and tearful Harun fiercely denied acting independently regarding the controversial detention and feeding of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement coordinators. According to Mr. Harun, Home Minister Kamal and then-Special Branch (SB) Chief Monirul Islam gave the plan and specific directives to take pictures of the coordinators and make them public. Mr. Quader told him that the Home Minister was not standing up for him and that PM Sheikh Hasina was furious about the matter.
Mr. Harun defended his actions by claiming that he carried out every direction given during daily meetings at the Home Minister’s residence and did nothing outside of those directives. He was furious that he was being unfairly transferred and used as a scapegoat. The prosecution sent the audio recordings to the International Crimes Tribunal-2, which is presided over by Justice Mr. Nazrul Islam Chowdhury and is now hearing closing arguments in the ongoing trial.
