ZI Khan Panna to defend Hasina in 2 enforced disappearance cases
Panna previously represented Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal in a crimes against humanity case linked to last year’s July Uprising. Both were sentenced to death by ICT-1 following that trial.
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) today (23 November) approved the appointment of senior lawyer ZI Khan Panna as the state defence counsel for ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and other absconding accused in two cases filed over crimes against humanity, including enforced disappearances and torture.
Panna had applied to act as the state defence to represent Hasina. The tribunal accepted his application and formally appointed him.
Lawyer M Hassan Imam has also been appointed to the state defence team in the two cases, which would lead to the trial over the crimes allegedly committed during the Awami League's tenure.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Panna previously represented Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal in a crimes against humanity case linked to last year's July Uprising. Both were sentenced to death by ICT-1 following that trial.
The ICT-1 today fixed 3 December and 7 December for charge-framing hearings in the two enforced disappearance cases, which name Hasina, Kamal and several Bangladesh Army officials as accused.
In the first case, 17 individuals have been accused of alleged enforced disappearances and torture at the Task Force for Interrogation (TFI) Cell. Ten of them are in custody.
The absconding accused include Hasina, Kamal, former prime minister's adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddique, and seven others.
The second case concerns alleged enforced disappearances and torture at the Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC). Thirteen individuals have been accused, with three former DGFI directors currently in custody.
Further proceedings in both cases will continue on the dates set by the tribunal.
