The prosecution on Thursday sought to begin the trial of 41 people, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, in a crimes against humanity case over the killings during Hefazat-e-Islam’s rally at Shapla Chhatar in Dhaka’s Motijheel on 5 May 2013.
Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam made the plea before International Crimes Tribunal-2 on 12 November, arguing for the framing of charges against the accused.
During the hearing, the chief prosecutor read out the charges against each of the 41 accused and outlined the background of the case, including various aspects of the Awami League government’s rule. He also described how Hasina had become an autocrat.
After presenting the arguments, the prosecution submitted an application seeking the formal framing of charges to initiate the trial. The tribunal fixed 16 November for hearing arguments from the defence.
Eleven arrested accused were produced before the tribunal. They are former ministers Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Abdur Razzaque, Dipu Moni and Hasanul Haq Inu; former state minister Shamsul Hoque Tuku; former inspector general of police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Hoque; former army officer Ziaul Ahsan; former deputy inspector general of police Abdul Jalil Mondal; Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee (Ghadanik) President Shahriar Kabir; Ekattor TV Managing Director Mozammel Haque Babu; and journalist Farzana Rupa.
The remaining 30 accused are absconding. They include Hasina; Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir; Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim; Mahbubul Alam Hanif; Hasan Mahmud Chowdhury; A F M Bahauddin Nasim; Mrinal Kanti Das; Jahangir Kabir Nanak; Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya; Omar Faruk Chowdhury; Salahuddin Mahmud, also known as S M Zahid; Imran H Sarkar; former IGP Hassan Mahmood Khandker; former IGP Mohammad Javed Patwary; former IGP Benazir Ahmed; former Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) director general Md Mokhlesur Rahman; former Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) director general Aziz Ahmed; Lt Gen Md Mujibur Rahman; Sheikh Muhammad Maruf Hasan; Mahbub Hossain; Md Monirul Islam; Md Anwar Hossain; Ashrafuzzaman; S M Mehdi Hassan; Mohammad Harun-or-Rashid; Biplob Kumar Sarkar; Syed Nurul Islam; Md Asaduzzaman; S M Shibly Noman; and B M Forman Ali.
The accused include leaders of the Awami League (whose activities are banned) and Jubo League, members of Hasina’s cabinet, and serving and former officials of the police, BGB and RAB.
According to the prosecution, genocide was committed during Hefazat-e-Islam’s rally at Shapla Chhatar on 5 May 2013. It alleged that police, BGB and RAB personnel, alongside members of the Awami League, Chhatra League and Jubo League, jointly carried out killings in an attempt to eliminate Hefazat-e-Islam.
The prosecution told the tribunal that an investigation by the International Crimes Tribunal’s investigation agency had found evidence of indiscriminate shooting and the killing of Islamic scholars and children.
It further alleged that the killings were part of a planned operation by the then Awami League government, carried out by senior law enforcement officials. According to the prosecution, a meeting involving ministers and administrative officials had decided before the operation to use grenades and lethal weapons. Hefazat leaders, activists and children were killed as part of the plan, it claimed.
Hefazat-e-Islam leader Azizul Haque initially submitted a complaint over the 5 May 2013 incident to the chief prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal on behalf of Hefazat leaders Junaid Al Habib and Maulana Mamunul Haque.
Although 21 people were named in the initial complaint, the prosecution brought formal charges against 41 people after completing its investigation. Following Thursday’s hearing, the tribunal took cognisance of the formal charges.
