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The International Crimes Tribunal has taken cognisance of formal charges against seven people, including former industries minister Amir Hossain Amu, in a crimes against humanity case over the crackdown on the July-August 2024 mass uprising.
The tribunal has set November 22 for the next hearing and issued an arrest warrant against Awami League leader Mirza Azam, who is absconding.
A judicial panel of International Crimes Tribunal-2 passed the order on Thursday (November 5). Prosecutor Gazi Monawar Hossain Tamim later confirmed the development to journalists.
The prosecution submitted formal charges against the seven accused to the registrar of Tribunal-2 on November 2.
The accused are former industries minister Amir Hossain Amu; former shipping minister Shajahan Khan; former agriculture minister Dr Abdur Razzaque; former civil aviation and tourism minister Lt Col (retd) Muhammad Faruk Khan; former foreign minister Dr Dipu Moni; Awami League organising secretary Mirza Azam; and Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, former adviser to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina on power, energy and mineral resources.
According to prosecution sources, six of the seven accused are currently in custody, while Mirza Azam remains absconding.
On October 26, Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam said the investigation report against the seven had been submitted to the prosecution and formal charges had been prepared after reviewing it.
He said the accused had been charged under the principle of superior responsibility, alleging that they were involved in political decision-making to suppress the July uprising and attended relevant meetings.
According to the prosecution, the then Awami League government adopted the suppression of the movement as state policy. Leaders of the Awami League and the 14-party alliance allegedly took part in political decisions to crush the protests, impose curfews and use them to facilitate killings.
The formal charges allege that the accused, who held senior positions in the government and party, played roles through planning, incitement, assistance and instructions.
The prosecution also submitted recordings of conversations between Sheikh Hasina and the accused, along with evidence from the United Nations fact-finding report on the July uprising.
It maintains that the killings committed during the crackdown were not isolated incidents but part of a planned and systematic campaign.
Dipu Moni and Abdur Razzaque are also accused in a separate crimes against humanity case over the killings at Shapla Chattar on May 5, 2013.
