UK lawyer seeks permission to represent Salman F Rahman at ICT

Graeme L Hall, a UK counsel at London's Doughty Street Chambers, has applied for permission to represent former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's adviser Salman F Rahman before the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in a case involving allegations of crimes against humanity during the July Uprising.

Salman's lawyer Munsurul Hoque Chowdhury confirmed the matter to the media on Saturday night (30 August).

Graeme submitted the application to the secretary of the Bangladesh Bar Council on 14 August, citing Section 11(8) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973.

In the application, Graeme sought permission to appear as a foreign counsel for Salman alongside lawyers appointed from Bangladesh. He also submitted his profile and relevant documents.

Earlier, on 10 December 2025, Munsurul sought permission from ICT-1 to appoint a foreign lawyer for Salman. The prosecution later objected to the request.

The case is currently at the witness examination stage. Eleven witnesses have so far testified against Salman and former law minister Anisul Huq, who is also an accused in the case.

The tribunal ordered the trial to begin on 12 January this year after framing five charges against Salman and Anisul. The charges were taken into cognisance on 4 December 2025.

The first charge alleges that Salman and Anisul took policy decisions to suppress the July-August movement and discussed imposing a curfew to crush protesters.

The remaining charges accuse them of instigating and conspiring in killings in Mirpur on 23 July and 28 July, and in Mirpur-1 on 4 August.

The fifth charge alleges that they planned to thwart the 5 August March to Dhaka programme.

According to the prosecution, 16 people, including Al-Amin, Ashraful, Sabbir and Rita, were killed in attacks in Mirpur-2, Mirpur-10 and Mirpur-13 following their instructions.