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The International Crimes Tribunal-2 will deliver its verdict on Thursday in a crimes against humanity case over the killing of six people in Kushtia during the July 2024 uprising, involving Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif and three other party leaders.
The tribunal, headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, fixed the date on Tuesday. The other members are Judges Md Manjurul Bashid and Nur Mohammad Shahriar Kabir.
The three other accused are former Kushtia District Council chairman and district Awami League president Sadar Uddin Khan, district general secretary Azgar Ali, and former Kushtia Sadar upazila chairman Ataur Rahman Ata.
Closing arguments in the case were completed on October 7.
On November 2 last year, Tribunal-2 ordered the commencement of trial against the four accused. The prosecution submitted formal charges on October 5, which the tribunal accepted the following day.
The tribunal subsequently issued arrest warrants and ordered the accused to appear in court by October 14. After police reported that they had been unable to arrest them, the tribunal ordered notices to be published in two national newspapers.
On October 23, the tribunal appointed lawyers for the accused and set October 27 for the charge-framing hearing.
The prosecution brought three specific allegations against the four accused, including command responsibility. It alleged that they supported remarks by then Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader about using party leaders and activists to resist protesters, attending a press conference where the remarks were made.
The charges also include allegedly giving direct orders to kill students and members of the public at a meeting in Kushtia on July 29, 2024, conspiring to commit the killings, and the deaths of six people in Kushtia town during the July-August uprising.
A total of 19 witnesses, including the investigation officer, testified in the case. Testimony concluded on April 23, followed by the prosecution’s closing arguments, which began on May 11.
