The International Crimes Tribunal-2 on Tuesday set April 2 for presentation of arguments in the case against Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Jasad) President Hasanul Haq Inu over alleged crimes against humanity committed during the July-August mass uprising.
The tribunal passed the order on 10 March. Prosecutors Faruk Ahmed and Sahidul Islam Sardar represented the prosecution, while lawyer Sifat Mahmud appeared for the defence.
Speaking to TIMES, lawyer Sifat claimed that Inu was brought to the tribunal against his will despite being physically ill. He further noted that the accused was kept in the lock-up (hajatkhana) rather than the dock (kathgara) during the proceedings.
According to the lawyer, Inu had sought to provide a verbal statement in court to respond to the allegations but was denied the opportunity. Consequently, the defence submitted a 64-page written statement to the tribunal.
The prosecution began recording witness testimonies in the case on 1 December last year. Earlier, on September 25, the prosecution filed eight specific charges, which the tribunal took into cognisance following a hearing the same day.
The recording of prosecution witnesses has already been completed.
Inu was arrested on 26 August, 2024. He was subsequently shown arrested in this case involving the killing of six people in Kushtia during the 2024 mass uprising.
Hasanul Haq Inu previously served as the information minister during the Awami League government. However, in the 12th parliamentary election, he lost his seat in Kushtia to an Awami League rebel candidate while contesting as an alliance nominee.
