The International Crimes Tribunal-2 has set 7 October for hearing on the framing of charges against 41 people, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, in a crimes-against-humanity case over the 2013 Shapla Chattar crackdown.
The tribunal passed the order on Wednesday after prosecutors said 30 accused, who are absconding, had failed to surrender despite notices published in newspapers.
The prosecution sought to begin proceedings against the absconding accused in their absence and appoint lawyers to represent them.
The tribunal subsequently fixed 7 October for the charge-framing hearing.
Eleven detained accused were produced before the tribunal under tight security earlier in the day.
They are former ministers Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Abdur Razzaq, Dipu Moni and Hasanul Haq Inu; former state minister Shamsul Haque Tuku; former inspector general of police AKM Shahidul Hoque; former army officer Ziaul Ahsan; former deputy inspector general Abdul Jalil Mondal; Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee President Shahriar Kabir; Ekattor TV Managing Director Mozammel Haque Babu; and journalist Farzana Rupa.
The tribunal also heard Latif Siddiqui’s bail petition and fixed 7 October for passing an order on it.
The 30 absconding accused include Sheikh Hasina, former ministers Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Mahbubul Alam Hanif and Hasan Mahmud Chowdhury, as well as several former Awami League leaders and senior police and security officials.
Among them are former IGPs Hasan Mahmud Khandaker, Mohammad Javed Patwari and Benazir Ahmed; former RAB director general Md Mokhlesur Rahman; former BGB director general Aziz Ahmed; and former senior police officials Monirul Islam, Anwar Hossain, Ashrafuzzaman, SM Mehdi Hasan, Mohammad Harun-or-Rashid, Biplob Kumar Sarker, Syed Nurul Islam, Md Asaduzzaman and SM Shibli Noman.
Other absconding accused include SM Zahid, Imran H Sarker, Sheikh Mohammad Maruf Hasan, Mahbub Hossain and BM Farman Ali.
The complaint concerning the alleged killings at Shapla Chattar was initially submitted to the chief prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal by Hefazat-e-Islam leader Azizul Haque on behalf of Hefazat leaders Junaid Al Habib and Mamunul Haque.
