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A hearing on the framing of formal charges against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 40 others in a crimes against humanity case over the 2013 Shapla Chattar killings is scheduled to be held today (Sunday).
The hearing is expected to take place before a three-member panel of International Crimes Tribunal-2, headed by its chairman, Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury.
According to prosecution sources, the state will present its arguments on framing formal charges against all 41 accused. The hearing was initially scheduled for October 7 but was deferred to November 1 after the defence sought more time.
Of the 11 accused currently in custody, nine were brought before the tribunal on Sunday morning, including Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Jasad) president and former information minister Hasanul Haq Inu, former state minister for home affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku and former ministers Abdur Razzaq, Dipu Moni and Abdul Latif Siddiqui.
Former inspector general of police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque was not brought to the tribunal due to illness, while retired Major General Ziaul Ahsan is scheduled to appear virtually.
The other accused in custody are former deputy inspector general of police Abdul Jalil Mondal, Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee president Shahriar Kabir, 71 TV managing director Mozammel Haque Babu and journalist Farzana Rupa.
The remaining 30 accused are absconding. They include Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Awami League Presidium Member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, party joint general secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif, AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Jahangir Kabir Nanak, former information minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, former state minister Advocate Mrinal Kanti Das and former minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya.
Others on the list include former Jubo League chairman Omar Faruk Chowdhury, former lawmaker Salauddin Mahmud, Gonojagoron Mancha convener and spokesperson Dr Imran H Sarker, former IGPs Hasan Mahmud Khandker, Mohammad Javed Patwary and Benazir Ahmed, former RAB director general Md Mokhlesur Rahman and former army chief General Aziz Ahmed.
The list also includes former RAB additional director general (operations) Lt Gen Md Mujibur Rahman; former additional IGPs Sheikh Muhammad Maruf Hasan, Mahbub Hossain and Monirul Islam; former Dhaka Metropolitan Police deputy commissioners Md Anwar Hossain and Ashrafuzzaman; additional deputy commissioners SM Mehedi Hasan and Md Asaduzzaman; former deputy inspectors general Harun-or-Rashid, Biplob Kumar Sarker and Syed Nurul Islam; retired additional superintendent of police SM Shibli Noman; and former Motijheel police station officer-in-charge BM Forman Ali.
On September 3, Tribunal-2 ordered the publication of notices in two national newspapers asking Hasina and the other 29 absconding accused to surrender. Law enforcement agencies subsequently submitted non-execution reports to the prosecution, stating that the accused could not be found at their permanent or temporary addresses.
As the 30 accused failed to surrender within the stipulated time, the tribunal declared them absconding on September 16 and ordered the appointment of state-funded lawyers to represent them.
Earlier, on July 27, the tribunal took cognisance of the formal charges filed against all 41 accused. It also issued arrest warrants for those absconding and directed that the accused in custody be produced before it.
The case involves two main charges. The first concerns the alleged killing of 32 people at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel on May 5, 2013, during a Hefazat-e-Islam rally. The second relates to the alleged killings of 20 people in Siddhirganj, Narayanganj, and other parts of the country on May 6.
The allegations stem from the crackdown surrounding Hefazat-e-Islam’s mass rally at Shapla Chattar. The prosecution has brought the case under the category of crimes against humanity.
The tribunal’s hearing today will determine whether formal charges will be framed against the 41 accused, paving the way for the next stage of the proceedings.
