Dark Room Torture and Fund Fraud: July Foundation Faces Gruesome Allegations

A case has been filed in court against ten officials and employees of the July Foundation in connection with allegations of torture and attempted murder of the July war wounded veteran Jahangir Alam during the anti-discrimination student movement.

According to the allegations, at the Foundation’s office a dark room called “Aynaghor” was constructed where the wounded were beaten, and the Foundation’s members withdrew funds allocated in the names of the wounded.

Jahangir’s horrifying confession has revealed a deep conspiracy and foul motives behind the Foundation’s establishment. According to the case statement, last year on 18 July, Jahangir Alam was wounded by police gunfire at the Kachpur Bridge area of the capital. Later, when the Foundation was formed, on the afternoon of 27 May this year Jahangir went to the Foundation’s office with necessary documents for his grant.

There the accused took him to a dark room and started beating him severely. He was struck on the head with a GI pipe and lost consciousness. When he regained consciousness, they continued the assault and pressured him for a confession as a “fake July war veteran.” His mobile phone was taken away, and after viewing his Facebook posts and photos, they gave him a public flogging.

The allegations state that seeing pictures of him with a BNP leader the accused asked: “What is this?” Then an injection was forcibly pushed into his right hand and in his unconscious state he was dumped on the road.

In the court of the Metropolitan Magistrate Md. Hasibuzzaman the case was filed by Jahangir himself as complainant. The court recorded the complainant’s statement and directed the Shahbagh Police Station to investigate and submit a report. Lawyer Sawdagar Annie and Tahmina Akter Liza of the complainant’s side have confirmed the matter.

The accused in the case are: Senior Verification Officer Iftekh Hossain of the July Foundation; Officers Sagar, Mehedi Hassan Prince, Afzalur Rahman Sayeem, Saidur Rahman Shahid, Fatema Afrin Payel, Reza Tanvir, Alif, Jahid; and Executive Member Sabrina Afroz Shrabonti.

One of the accused, Shrabonti, is well known on social media for speaking about ethics and being a protester against corruption. Recently she attempted to spit on cricketer Shakib Al Hasan because he wished Sheikh Hasina a happy birthday — the incident drew wide social media criticism.

Jahangir’s allegations state that the Foundation’s members withdrew funds allocated in the names of the July war wounded. To torture the wounded a dark room called “Aynaghor” was constructed.

This case is part of a series of horrific accusations against July Foundation. Last October, BIChA activist Bulbul Shikder and his wife Sabina Yasmin filed a case alleging torture in the name of “verification of fake war veterans” against 13 officials of the Foundation. In that case accusations included interrogation-style beatings, mobile phone theft and pressure to make false confessions; the court directed the CID to investigate.

On the Foundation’s official Facebook page the allegations were described as an “attempt to tarnish the reputation,” but no specific comment on the torture claims is readily available.

July Foundation was formed on 12 September 2024. Led by Dr. Yunus the fund was meant to raise help for families of the wounded and slain. But recent allegations have raised questions about the Foundation’s internal management, transparency of grant distribution, and verification process. From the outset claims of embezzlement have been made against the fund which began with 12 billion taka. It has now reached a level where even staff salaries cannot be paid from the fund, and a bank loan application has been rejected.