The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 on Sunday allowed its investigation agency to interrogate former minister Dipu Moni and journalists Mozammel Babu and Farzana Rupa in a case filed over alleged crimes against humanity linked to the deaths during the Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel in 2013.
The tribunal granted permission to interrogate each of the three accused for one day within the next 10 days and directed investigators to submit their probe report by 10 August.
Prosecutor Mohammad Zahirul Amin represented the prosecution during the hearing.
According to prosecution sources, the identities of 58 people killed in connection with the 5 May, 2013 incident have so far been confirmed. Of them, 32 were from Dhaka, 20 from Narayanganj, five from Chattogram and one from Cumilla.
The prosecution said the investigation is ongoing and that deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina will be named as the principal accused in the case.
Prosecutors alleged that former managing director of Ekattor Media Limited Mozammel Haque Babu, and former chief reporter of Ekattor Television Farzana Rupa attempted to divert attention from the killings and conceal the actual circumstances surrounding the incident.
They also claimed that an investigative programme titled Samikaran, aired on Ekattor Television shortly after the incident, spread misleading information and sought to portray that no casualties had occurred at Shapla Chattar.
Nine accused have so far been arrested in the case, including Dipu Moni, former state minister for home affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku, retired major general Ziaul Ahsan, former inspector general of police AKM Shahidul Haque, former deputy inspector general Mollah Nazrul Islam, Shahriar Kabir, former president of Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee; former DIG Abdul Jalil Mondal, Mozammel Babu and Farzana Rupa.
The complaint was filed with the tribunal by Hefazat-e-Islam leader Azizul Haque on behalf of Hefazat leaders Junaid Al Habib and Maulana Mamunul Haque.
A total of 21 people have been named as accused in the case.
Other accused include Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, former minister Rashed Khan Menon, former Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, former minister Hasan Mahmud, former MP Haji Selim, former prime minister’s adviser Salman F Rahman, former Narayanganj MP Shamim Osman, former adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddique, former IGP Benazir Ahmed, DB Additional Commissioner Harun-or-Rashid, former DMP deputy commissioner Biplob Kumar Sarkar, Professor Muntassir Mamoon, former ICT prosecutor Turin Afroz, Ganajagaran Mancha spokesperson Imran H Sarker, former Somoy TV CEO Ahmed Zobayer, ABNews24 editor Subhash Singha Roy, former press secretary Nayeemul Islam Khan, former army chief Aziz Ahmed and NSI official Monjur Ahmed.
