Dhaka, Aug 18 (V7N) - Who was responsible for ordering the firing from the helicopter? It has come to light that the Bell 407 helicopter, manufactured in the United States and operated by the RAB's Air Wing, was involved.

The RAB has two such helicopters. On July 18, during the student protests, a helicopter was used to rescue police officers trapped on the rooftop of the Canadian University of Bangladesh in Dhaka's Badda area.

Soon after, the helicopter began firing at the protesters. In the subsequent days, there were similar incidents of helicopter gunfire in Dhaka and Narayanganj, resulting in the deaths of at least ten children.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has denied the allegations of using firearms from their helicopters and asserted that only tear gas shells and sound grenades were deployed to safeguard life and property.

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina claimed that the helicopter was used to spray water to extinguish fires and denied that any shooting at students occurred. The Bell 407 helicopters, made in the USA, are part of the RAB’s fleet, which includes two such helicopters.

One of these helicopters was out of service due to technical problems, while the other was actively used to manage the student protests. This helicopter was seen flying all day and even at night throughout the student movement.

Mohammad A Arafat, the former Information Minister of the deposed Awami League government, is incidentally linked to the use of the helicopter during the protests, as he was the chief advisor to the trustee board of the Canadian University of Bangladesh.

Legal action has been initiated following Sheikh Hasina’s resignation from the Prime Minister’s position and her subsequent departure from the country. A murder case has been filed in a Dhaka court against Sheikh Hasina, several of her ministers, and senior officials of the police, RAB, and RAB's Air Wing.

Additionally, the High Court has issued a ruling to determine why an international investigation commission should not be established regarding the deaths of children caused by helicopter gunfire during the student protests. The court has also questioned why the families of the deceased children should not receive compensation of 1 crore taka each.

An international inquiry is also underway, including a United Nations fact-finding mission to Bangladesh. Following discussions with the interim government’s Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus on August 14, UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Turk announced this decision.

According to a UN official, this will be the first time since Bangladesh’s independence in 1971 that the UN is sending a fact-finding mission to investigate extensive human rights violations in the country.

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