Staff Reporter

The hearing on the framing of charges against 41 accused, including ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in a crimes against humanity case over the killings surrounding the Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel, Dhaka, on 5 May 2013, is scheduled to take place today.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 is scheduled to hold the hearing on Thursday (12 November) to consider the formal charges against the accused.

A three-member judicial panel headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury will conduct the hearing.

According to prosecution sources, 1 November had previously been fixed for the hearing on charge framing. However, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque, one of the 11 arrested accused, could not appear before the tribunal that day due to illness. Consequently, the court postponed the hearing and fixed 12 November as the new date.

Among the other arrested accused are Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) president and former Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, former State Minister for Home Affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku, former Food Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque, former minister Dr Dipu Moni, Abdul Latif Siddique, retired Major General Ziaul Ahsan, former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Abdul Jalil Mondal, Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee president Shahriar Kabir, Ekattor Television Managing Director Mozammel Haque Babu and journalist Farzana Rupa.

Meanwhile, those listed as fugitives include Sheikh Hasina, former Home Minister Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Awami League Presidium Member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, former Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, AFM Bahauddin Nasim, former State Minister Advocate Mrinal Kanti Das, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, former minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, former Jubo League chairman Omar Faruk Chowdhury, former lawmaker Salahuddin Mahmud and former convenor and spokesperson of the Gonojagoron Moncho, Dr Imran H Sarker.

Other fugitive accused include former IGPs Hasan Mahmud Khandaker, Dr Mohammad Javed Patwary and Benazir Ahmed; former RAB Director General Mohammad Mukhlesur Rahman; former Army Chief General Aziz Ahmed; then RAB Additional Director General (Operations) Lieutenant General Mohammad Mujibur Rahman; and former Additional IGPs Sheikh Muhammad Maruf Hasan, Mahbub Hossain and Monirul Islam.

The list also includes then Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Deputy Commissioner (Headquarters and Administration) Mohammad Anwar Hossain; Deputy Commissioner (Traffic-South) Ashrafuzzaman; Additional Deputy Commissioner (Motijheel Zone) SM Mehedi Hasan; former DIGs Harun-or-Rashid, Biplab Kumar Sarkar and Syed Nurul Islam; then DMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (Motijheel Division) Mohammad Asaduzzaman; retired Additional Superintendent of Police SM Shibli Noman; and then Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Motijheel Police Station BM Farman Ali.

Earlier, on 3 September, International Crimes Tribunal-2 ordered the publication of notices in two national dailies directing 30 accused, including Sheikh Hasina, to appear before the court and surrender.

Subsequently, law enforcement agencies submitted non-execution reports (NERs), stating that they had searched for the accused at their permanent and temporary addresses but failed to locate them.

Later, on 16 September, the tribunal declared the 30 accused fugitives after they failed to surrender within the stipulated period. The court also ordered the appointment of defence lawyers for them at state expense.

According to case documents, on 27 July, Tribunal-2 took cognisance of the formal charges submitted by the prosecution against all 41 accused. The tribunal also issued arrest warrants against the fugitive accused and ordered that those already in custody be produced before the court.

The case involves two charges. The first concerns the killing of 32 people at Shapla Chattar in Dhaka on 5 May 2013. The second details killings committed on 6 May, including the deaths of 20 people in Siddhirganj, Narayanganj, as well as other killings in different parts of the country.