Tribunal orders probe report against Hasina in a month
13 accused sent to jail after being produced before the court
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) today (18 November) granted one month to its investigation agency to complete its probe in cases filed, over the genocide and crimes against humanity committed during the revolution that toppled the Awami League government in July-August this year, against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 45 others.
The three-member tribunal, chaired by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder, this morning ordered the submission of the investigation reports by 17 December, and sent 13 accused to jail after they were produced before it.
The 13 accused include former law minister Anisul Huq, former civil aviation and tourism minister Faruk Khan, Worker's Party President Rashed Khan Menon, former information minister Hasanul Haq Inu, former state minister for post, telecommunication and ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, former energy adviser to former PM Hasina Towfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, former social welfare minister Dipu Moni, former private industry and investment adviser to former PM Hasina Salman F Rahman, former shipping minister Shajahan Khan, former state minister of Industries Kamal Ahmed Majumder, former minister of textiles and jute Golam Dastagir Gazi, former Justice Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik, and former home secretary Jahangir Alam.
ICT Chief Prosecutor Md Tajul Islam said they were produced before the tribunal around 10am today after showing them arrested in cases over crimes against humanity.
All the accused are now behind bars in other cases, he added.
Former agriculture minister Abdur Razzaq was not brought before the tribunal as he is in police remand in another case.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
This is the first time any of the 46 accused have been brought to the tribunal. Security was beefed up in the tribunal area since this morning due to the presence of so many "VIP accused" at once.
Members of various security and intelligence agencies, including RAB and police, were deployed in uniform and plainclothes.
The jail authorities, however, failed to produce another accused former agriculture minister Dr Abdur Razzak before the court as he is in the custody of Tangail Mirzapur Police Station where he was taken into remand in another case. The tribunal ordered to produce him along with other arrestees and remaining accused on the next hearing date.
The 13 high profile accused were brought to the tribunal in three separate prison vans, as Golam Dastagir Gazi was, who was in Narayanagj jail, brought first at around 9:45am. Dr Dipu Moni was brought alone 10 minutes later in another prison van, while the remaining 11 were brought together at 10:02am.
All the 13 accused were brought to the makeshift courtroom at 10:45 am, and all but Dipu Moni were made to enter into the dock. The former education minister was made to sit in a chair outside the dock, with couple of policewomen standing beside her.
The tribunal started its proceedings at 11:00am and after holding hearing of a case against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, it started hearing this case.
Chief Prosecutor Advocate Muhammad Tajul Islam in his plea said the arrestees abetted Sheikh Hasina in committing killings, genocides and crimes against humanity during the July-August student-led mass uprising.
"Some of them had abetted Hasina under her superior command responsibility, while many had individual responsibility. People like Anisul Huq, Dipu Moni, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Mohammad A Arafat, Sajeeb Wazed Joy and Zunaid Ahmed Palak had individual responsibilities over the crimes," he said.
The chief prosecutor further said all the accused played their individual role in continuing the genocides, retaining the power for the Hasina regime. Despite being part of such barbarism, they had no remorse, Muhammad Tajul Islam added.
Deputy attorney generals Gazi Monawar Hossain Tamim, BM Sultan Mahmud and Abdullah Al Noman were present during the hearing.
Earlier, the tribunal issued arrest warrants for former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and others on 17 October in two separate cases related to these allegations.
The ICT issued the orders, directing the accused to be produced in court for the hearing on 18 November.
