The International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) on Wednesday deferred charge-framing hearing against 41 accused, including deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, in a crimes-against-humanity case over the 2013 Shapla Chattar crackdown in Motijheel, Dhaka.
The tribunal fixed 1 November for the hearing after defence lawyer Mansurul Haque Chowdhury submitted a time petition, to which the prosecution raised no objection.
Earlier on 16 September, the tribunal had scheduled 7 October for the hearing.
Eleven arrested accused were brought to the tribunal under tight security. 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.
Meanwhile, 30 accused in the case remain absconding. The 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 Patwary 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.
Prosecution allegations and findings
According to the prosecution, a crackdown was committed during the rally of Hefazat-e-Islam at Shapla Chttar. The then government’s police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Awami League, Chhatra League, and Jubo League jointly carried out the killings with the intent to eliminate Hefazat-e-Islam.
An ICT investigation revealed that Islamic scholars and children were indiscriminately shot and killed. The prosecution said the killings were planned by the former Awami League government, executed by senior law enforcement officers.
Prosecution sources added that prior to the drive, a high-level meeting of ministers and administrative officials had decided to deploy grenades and lethal weapons, resulting in the deaths of Hefazat-e-Islam leaders, activists, and children.
The case originates from the incident on 5 May 2013 at Shapla Chattar. Hefazat-e-Islam leader Azizul Haque initially lodged the complaint with ICT chief prosecutor on behalf of Hefazat leaders Junaid Al Habib and Maulana Mamunul Haque.
Although 21 individuals were initially named in the primary complaint, formal charges were submitted against 41 accused following the completion of the investigation, which the court formally took into cognizance after a hearing.
