The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-2 on Sunday set 3 September for the next hearing in a case against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 40 others over the alleged killing surrounding the Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel more than a decade ago.
Prosecutor Zahirul Amin sought more time, telling the tribunal that arrest warrants had been issued against Sheikh Hasina and other fugitives, but law enforcement agencies could not locate them at their permanent or temporary addresses.
The prosecution has received detailed reports on 20 of the accused, while reports on the others are yet to be submitted, he said.
Two other accused, Hasanul Haq Inu and Abdur Razzaq, were not produced before the tribunal as production warrants had not been issued, the prosecutor said.
Inu is serving a sentence in another crimes-against-humanity case, while Razzaq is in custody in another case.
Former ministers and officials, including Dipu Moni, Shamsul Haque Tuku, Abdul Latif Siddique, Ziaul Ahsan, AKM Shahidul Haque, Shahriar Kabir, Abdul Jalil Mondal, Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Babu, were produced before the tribunal for Sunday’s hearing.
The tribunal on 27 July took cognisance of the formal charges and issued arrest warrants against 31 fugitives in the case.
The prosecution alleges that the Shapla Chattar incident amounted to genocide and was part of a planned operation by the then Awami League government to eliminate Hefazat-e-Islam.
According to the prosecution, senior officials of law enforcement agencies implemented the plan and a meeting involving ministers and senior government officials had decided to use grenades and lethal weapons before the operation.
The prosecution further alleges that Hefazat leaders and activists, including children, were killed during the crackdown on 5 May, 2013.
It claims police, Border Guard Bangladesh, Rapid Action Battalion and leaders and activists of the Awami League, Chhatra League and Jubo League jointly carried out the operation under government instructions.
The prosecution also alleges that no effective investigation was conducted into the incident at the time and that Hefazat-e-Islam failed to obtain justice despite repeated efforts.
The 31 fugitives include Sheikh Hasina, Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Hasan Mahmud Chowdhury, AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Mofazzel Hossain Chowdhury Maya, former IGPs Hasan Mahmud Khandker, Mohammad Javed Patwari and Benazir Ahmed, former RAB director general Md Mokhlesur Rahman, former BGB director general Aziz Ahmed, and several other former ministers, senior police officials and political leaders.
The tribunal directed that Hasanul Haq Inu and Abdur Razzaq be produced on the next hearing date.
