ICT dismisses Inu’s review plea as trial commences over July Uprising killings in Kushtia
Tribunal has fixed tomorrow (1 December) for the testimony of the first witness
The International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) has dismissed an application filed by Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President Hasanul Haq Inu seeking reconsideration of the order to frame charges and begin the trial in the crimes against humanity case concerning the deaths of six people in Kushtia during the July Uprising.
The order was passed by a three-member bench of ICT-2, led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury today (30 November).
During the hearing, lawyers for Inu argued that he had no involvement in the killings. However, the Tribunal dismissed the reconsideration plea.
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The Tribunal has fixed tomorrow (1 December) for the testimony of the first witness.
Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam earlier told the Tribunal that the case concerns crimes against humanity, and Inu's review petition referred to the July Uprising as "so-called", which he argued amounted to sedition.
He sought dismissal of the review application.
Following the dismissal today, the prosecution's opening statement was placed before the Tribunal as part of the evidence submission.
Inu was brought from jail for today's proceedings, where the Tribunal had been scheduled to hear the prosecution's opening statement and take the testimony of the first witness, alongside consideration of his review petition.
Charges against Inu were formally framed on 2 November, when the Tribunal ordered the trial to begin under eight charges. The judge read all charges to Inu, and he claimed to be completely innocent. The date for the opening statement and witness testimony was fixed at that time.
Before charge framing, Senior Lawyer Mansurul Haque Chowdhury argued on 28 October that Inu should be discharged, stating that none of the allegations were true.
The prosecution countered that Inu, as a leader of the 14-party alliance, could not evade responsibility. Prosecutor Mizanul Islam also presented arguments on the charge-framing process on 23 October.
Inu was arrested by a Detective Branch team from Uttara on 26 August and has since been formally charged in multiple cases related to the July Uprising.
