The prosecution of International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has filed formal charges against former lawmaker Abul Hasanat Abdullah and three others for crimes against humanity over the extrajudicial killings of two activists from JCD and JASAS in 2015.
The prosecution submitted the charges before ICT-2 on Tuesday. Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam and Prosecutor Md Shahidul Islam Sardar presented the charges before the tribunal.
Abul Hasanat is cousin of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was sentenced to death by the tribunal and is currently absconding.
Among the four accused in the case, Md Mahabul Islam and Md Jasim Uddin were former assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs) of Uzirpur Police Station in Barishal. They are in police custody. The other accused is AKM Ehsanullah, then Barishal superintendent (SP) of police, who remains fugitive.
However, the tribunal set 15 April for the next hearing.
The victims of the extrajudicial killings were Tipu Hawlader, then joint general secretary of Agailjhara upazila JCD, and Kabir Molla, organisational secretary of the same upazila unit of JASAS.
According to the charges, Tipu and Kabir were political rivals of Hasanat Abdullah. Failing to defeat them politically, Abdullah allegedly abused state power to plan and conspire to kill them. Abdullah and Ehsanullah allegedly ordered police officers to carry out the killings.
On the night of 21 February 2015, Tipu and Kabir were shot dead in the name of “crossfire” near the western side of the bridge on Agailjhara Bypass Road of Gouranadi–Gopalganj highway.
