International Crimes Tribunal-2 on Monday sent three journalists, including Shyamal Dutta former general secretary of the National Press Club, to jail after showing them arrested in a crimes against humanity case over alleged incitement and provocation during the July Uprising.
The tribunal has fixed 25 October for submitting the investigation report in the case.
The other two journalists are Mozammel Babu, managing director and editor-in-chief of Ekattor TV and the channel’s chief correspondent Farzana Rupa. They were already in jail in separate cases.
Following a prosecution application, the tribunal on Monday, 24 August, ordered that the three journalists be shown arrested in the case and sent to jail.
Prosecutor Faruk Ahmed represented the prosecution during the hearing. He told the tribunal that production warrants had earlier been issued against the three journalists in a case related to crimes against humanity linked to the July Uprising. They were produced before the tribunal based on those warrants.
The prosecution sought to show them arrested in the case and send them to jail, while seeking two months’ time to submit the investigation report.
After the hearing, the tribunal granted the prosecution’s plea and fixed 25 October for submitting the investigation report.
Earlier, on 17 August, ICT-2 issued production warrants against Shyamal, Babu and Rupa following a prosecution application.
The prosecution alleged that the three journalists, along with others, had incited actions aimed at suppressing the July Uprising. Under the International Crimes Tribunal Act, incitement to commit crimes is also considered an offence.
The prosecution also informed the tribunal that the investigation agency had found evidence of the three journalists’ involvement in crimes against humanity.
According to the prosecution, during a press conference held by then former prime minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban on 14 July 2024, several journalists allegedly made provocative remarks while asking questions.
The prosecution claimed that, in response to the questions, Sheikh Hasina referred to the protesters as “razakars”, “children of razakars” and “grandchildren of razakars”. Following the remarks, the movement intensified and eventually turned into a mass uprising.
