Salman, Anisul planned crackdown on student movement, says ICT chief prosecutor

International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam said former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's adviser Salman F Rahman and former law minister Anisul Huq had drawn up comprehensive plans to suppress and "eliminate" the student-public led July Uprising.

Tajul Islam made the comments while briefing the media at the tribunal premises this afternoon (22 December) after a hearing on the charge framing in a crimes against humanity case.

The chief prosecutor sought formal charges against Salman F Rahman and Anisul Huq for allegedly instigating mass killings by imposing curfews as part of the crackdown on the movement.

Addressing the press briefing, Tajul Islam said the two were members of "gang of four", a special committee formed to suppress the July-August movement. The committee also included then home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and then state minister for information and broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat.

"The four were entrusted with planning the killing and complete elimination of unarmed students and members of the public during the uprising. Anisul Huq and Salman F Rahman planned where operations would take place, how they would be conducted, what weapons would be used, how killings would be carried out, and who would be falsely implicated, jailed or taken on remand," he said.

Tajul Islam further claimed that the two advisers had recommended the imposition of an emergency situation, including curfews, to the then prime minister and had taken steps to ensure its implementation.

He said portions of a phone conversation between Salman F Rahman and Anisul Huq were played before the tribunal, in which they discussed two methods to suppress the movement, one by imposing a curfew to completely eliminate protesters, and the other by declaring military rule to crush the uprising.

According to the chief prosecutor, these plans were presented to the prime minister, and a decision to impose a curfew was later taken at a meeting of the 14-party alliance. "We have sufficient evidence that the mass killings during July and August took place as a result of their advice, directives and incitement," he said.

Tajul Islam added that the crimes were committed through a combination of their "superior responsibility" and a "joint criminal enterprise". Overall, the prosecution has sought the framing of five charges against Salman F Rahman and Anisul Huq, he said.