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The 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 began at the International Crimes Tribunal-2 on Thursday.
The case relates to the alleged killings of Hefazat-e-Islam supporters during a law enforcement crackdown on the organisation’s rally at Shapla Chattar in Dhaka’s Motijheel area on May 5, 2013, and subsequent incidents in different parts of the country.
A three-member tribunal headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury is conducting the hearing. The prosecution is seeking the formal framing of charges against all 41 accused, paving the way for the trial to proceed to the next stage.
According to case documents, the prosecution submitted formal charges against the 41 individuals, including Sheikh Hasina, and the tribunal took cognisance of the charges on July 27. Arrest warrants were also issued against those accused who were not in custody.
Eleven of the accused have been arrested. They include former information minister Hasanul Haq Inu, former state minister for home affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku, former food minister Abdur Razzaque, former ministers Dipu Moni and Abdul Latif Siddique, former inspector general of police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque, retired Major General Ziaul Ahsan, former deputy inspector general Abdul Jalil Mondal, Shahriar Kabir, television channel Ekattor TV’s managing director Mozammel Haque Babu and journalist Farzana Rupa.
Sheikh Hasina and 29 other accused have been declared fugitives after failing to surrender before the tribunal despite court notices.
The tribunal has ordered the appointment of state-funded defence lawyers to represent them.
The case involves two principal allegations. The first concerns the killing of 32 people at Shapla Chattar on May 5, 2013.
The second relates to alleged killings on May 6, including 20 people in Siddhirganj, Narayanganj, as well as deaths in other parts of the country.
Earlier, the prosecution alleged that a total of 58 people were killed during the crackdown and related operations.
The hearing is an important procedural step in determining whether formal charges will be framed against the accused.
The allegations remain subject to judicial examination.
