Photo: Collected
Today is fixed for the hearing on framing of charges against 41 people, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, in the crimes against humanity case filed over the alleged killings at the Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar on 5 May 2013.
The hearing on the matter may be held on Wednesday (7 October) before the three-member judicial panel of the International Crimes Tribunal led by Tribunal-2 Chairman Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury.
Earlier, on 26 September, the tribunal fixed 7 October for framing of charges in this case. In continuation of that, the hearing is scheduled to be held today. The arrested accused were brought from jail to the tribunal amid tight security in the morning.
On 26 September, Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam had said the tribunal fixed 7 October for the hearing on framing of charges in the case filed over the alleged killing of 61 people centring the Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel on 5 May 2013.
At the hearing that day, the prosecution said the 30 fugitive accused in this case, including Sheikh Hasina, had not surrendered even after a notice was published in newspapers. So a plea was made to begin the trial in their absence and to appoint lawyers on their behalf. The tribunal accepted it and fixed the date for the hearing on framing of charges.
This morning, the 11 arrested accused were taken to the tribunal amid tight security. They are former ministers Abdul Latif Siddique, Abdur Razzaque, Dipu Moni and Hasanul Haq Inu, former state minister Shamsul Hoque Tuku, former IGP AKM Shahidul Hoque, former major general Ziaul Ahsan, former DIG Abdul Jalil Mandal, Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee President Shahriar Kabir, Ekattor TV Managing Director Mozammel Haque Babu and journalist Farzana Rupa.
According to court sources, information has been found that 57 people were killed in Dhaka, Narayanganj and Chattogram centring the Hefazat rally at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel in May 2013.
In the case filed over this incident, the International Crimes Tribunal took cognisance when formal charges were submitted against 41 people, including Sheikh Hasina, on 27 July.
The accused in the case are former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, then home minister Dr Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, state minister for home affairs Advocate Shamsul Hoque Tuku, information minister Hasanul Haq Inu, Awami League presidium member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, food minister Dr Abdur Razzaque, Awami League joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, then information minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, Awami League joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, former minister Abdul Latif Siddique, former state minister Advocate Mrinal Kanti Das, then Awami League joint general secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak, former minister Dr Dipu Moni, former minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, then Jubo League chairman Omar Faruk Chowdhury, former member of parliament Salauddin Mahmud, and Gonojagoron Mancha convener and spokesperson Dr Imran H Sarker.
Also on the list are Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee President Shahriar Kabir, former managing director of Ekattor Media Limited Mozammel Haque Babu and former chief reporter Farzana Rupa.
Among members of the police and security forces, those made accused are former IGP Hassan Mahmood Khandker, former IGP AKM Shahidul Hoque, former IGP Dr Mohammad Javed Patwary, former IGP Benazir Ahmed, then RAB director general Md Mokhlesur Rahman, former army chief General Aziz Ahmed, Major General (retd) Ziaul Ahsan, then RAB additional director general (ops) Lieutenant General Md Mujibur Rahman, former DIG Abdul Jalil Mandal, former additional IGP Sheikh Muhammad Maruf Hasan, former additional IGP (SB) Mahbub Hossain, former additional IGP (SB) Monirul Islam, then DMP DC (headquarters and administration) Md Anwar Hossain, then DMP DC (traffic-south) Ashrafuzzaman, then DMP ADC (Motijheel zone) SM Mehedi Hasan, former DIG Harun-or-Rashid, former DIG Biplob Kumar Sarker, former DIG Syed Nurul Islam, then DMP ADC (Motijheel division) Md Asaduzzaman, retired additional superintendent of police SM Shibli Noman and then officer-in-charge (OC) of Motijheel Police Station BM Forman Ali.
According to the prosecution, 58 people were killed at four places, including Dhaka, centring the Hefazat rally on 5 May 2013. Among them, the investigation agency has identified 32 killed in Dhaka, 20 in Narayanganj, 5 in Chattogram and one in Cumilla.
