Published: July 10, 2025, 01:40 AM
Image: Bdnews24
A new BBC Eye investigation has revealed that at least 52 people were killed in police firing in Dhaka’s Jatrabari area on August 5 of last year, during a protest tied to a major political transition in Bangladesh. The report, based on verified audio and video footage, suggests that security forces opened fire without warning — allegedly under direct orders from then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina to use maximum force.
According to the BBC, one of the key pieces of evidence is a mobile phone video recorded by a protester named Miraz Hossain, who was later killed during the crackdown. Metadata from the video shows that indiscriminate firing began around 2:43 PM on August 5. The footage shows army personnel initially positioned in front of protestors outside the Jatrabari police station, who then left moments before police inside began firing at the crowd.
Additional CCTV footage captured protestors fleeing through nearby alleys, while another video from that day shows police physically assaulting injured individuals. A separate video from August 4 shows police exiting the station and firing as they moved toward the highway. In some clips, gunfire from a machine gun can be heard and smoke is seen rising from a truck near the station.
The BBC report claims that the shooting went on for more than 30 minutes. Drone footage reportedly shows multiple bodies on the road while civilians used rickshaws, vans, and motorbikes to transport the injured. Later that day, some protestors allegedly set fire to the Jatrabari police station, killing at least six police officers.
Initially, reports estimated 30 protester deaths, but after reviewing hospital records, media reports, family interviews, and social media posts, the BBC concluded that at least 58 people—including civilians and police—were killed in Jatrabari on August 5.
Multiple legal cases have since been filed against several police officers, including then-Jatrabari officer-in-charge Abul Hasan. The Bangladesh Police admitted that some officers used excessive force and acted unprofessionally.
The investigation also references a leaked phone call allegedly involving Sheikh Hasina and a senior government official, in which she reportedly authorized the use of lethal force. The call was said to have been made from her official residence on July 18. Though many similar clips have circulated online since the incident, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police has reportedly verified that the voice in this recording matches Hasina`s.
The BBC said it tried to contact the Bangladesh Army for comment on the involvement of military personnel during the events at Jatrabari but received no response.
