The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT) has issued arrest warrants for ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and four other fugitives in connection with the killing of nine people during a raid at the “Jahajbari” residence in Kalyanpur in 2016.
The tribunal, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mazumdar, took cognisance of the charges against eight individuals on Thursday after the prosecution formally submitted the allegations earlier in the morning.
The court set 8 February for the next hearing of the case.
Alongside the former prime minister, the accused include former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former IGP AKM Shahidul Haque, former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia, and former Special Branch (SB) chief Monirul Islam.
While the tribunal issued warrants for the five fugitives, three of the accused – AKM Shahidul Haque, Asaduzzaman Mia, and former DMP Mirpur Division deputy commissioner Md Jashim Uddin Mollah – are already in custody.
According to the prosecution, personnel from various units of the DMP and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) carried out an operation at a residence known locally as “Jahajbari” in the capital’s Kalyanpur area on 25 July, 2016.
Following the incident, claims emerged that the operation had been staged. Allegations were raised that the nine men killed in the raid, who were later identified by authorities as militants, had no involvement in extremist activities. It was also alleged that the victims had been held in police custody for an extended period and were shot at close range.
