Charge framing hearing against Nanak, Taposh, others over Mohammadpur killing 8 Apr

A hearing has been scheduled for 8 April on the framing of charges against 28 people, including former textiles and jute minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak and former Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, in a crimes against humanity case over the deaths of nine people in Mohammadpur during the anti-discrimination movement.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 set the date today (15 March).

Apart from Nanak and Taposh, among the notable accused in the case are former Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Habibur Rahman, former additional DIG Proloy Kumar Joarder, and former joint police commissioner of DMP Biplob Kumar Sarker. Local councillors, leaders and activists of the now-banned Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League have also been named as accused.

Four people are currently under arrest. They are Mohammadpur thana unit president of the banned Chhatra League, Naimul Hasan Russell, vice-president Sajjad Hossain, Omar Faruk and Fazle Rabbi. They were produced before the tribunal yesterday morning.

Earlier, on 18 January, Tribunal-1 took cognisance of the formal charges submitted by the prosecution and issued arrest warrants against the 28 accused.

According to the prosecution, in three charges filed in the case, Awami League, Chhatra League and law enforcement agencies carried out brutal attacks during the student-public movement on 18 and 19 July 2024. It alleged that, with the instigation and direct or indirect presence of the accused, gunfire was opened on unarmed students and protesters during the July movement.

Mahmudur Rahman Saikat and Farhan Faiyaz were among nine people killed in the incident, while many others were injured