The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) on Thursday ordered the arrest of 10 individuals, including former inspectors general of police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque and Mohammad Javed Patwary, in connection with the extrajudicial killing of seven youths in Gazipur in 2016.
Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam informed journalists that the tribunal issued the order to produce the accused in court by 2 March after the absconding defendants were not presented as scheduled on Thursday.
The prosecution filed formal charges on 3 February against the 10 accused, a list that includes ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former IGPs Haque and Patwary, and former senior police officials Md Asaduzzaman Mia, Md Monirul Islam, and Harun ur Rashid.
The prosecution contends that the incident, in which the victims were branded as militants, constitutes crimes against humanity.
According to the chief prosecutor, investigation findings revealed that seven victims were detained from various locations across the country and held in enforced disappearance for an extended period. On 8 October 2016, they were taken to a house in Gazipur and shot dead.
While the authorities at the time claimed the deceased were militants, the investigation established that they had been previously arrested and held in secret detention before being killed.
The court has set 2 March for the next phase of the proceedings, by which time the accused must be produced before the tribunal.
