Shapla Chattar killings: Tribunal issues arrest warrant for Hasina, other absconding accused
The International Crimes Tribunal issued arrest warrants for the absconding accused and ordered that those already arrested in other cases be produced before it.
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has taken cognisance of charges filed against ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 40 others over killings during a Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Dhaka's Shapla Chattar in Motijheel in 2013.
ICT-2 passed the order today (27 July), also issuing arrest warrants for the absconding accused, including Hasina, and ordering that those already arrested in other cases be produced before it.
According to the prosecution, the tribunal's investigation body has identified 58 people killed during violence surrounding Hefazat's gathering on 5 May 2013 across four locations. Of those, 32 deaths were recorded in Dhaka, 20 in Narayanganj, five in Chattogram, and one in Cumilla.
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Earlier in the day, prosecutors filed charges against Hasina and 40 others in the case alleging crimes against humanity over the deadly 5 May 2013 crackdown surrounding Hefazat-e-Islam's rally in the Shapla Chattar area of Motijheel in Dhaka.
The accused also include former home minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir; former state minister for home affairs Advocate Shamsul Hoque Tuku; former information minister and JSD President Hasanul Haq Inu; Awami League Presidium member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim; former food minister Abdur Razzaque; Awami League joint general secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif, AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Jahangir Kabir Nanok; former information minister Hasan Mahmud; former ministers Abdul Latif Siddique, Dipu Moni and Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya; former state minister Advocate Mrinal Kanti Das; former Jubo League chairman Omar Faruk Chowdhury; and former lawmaker Salauddin Mahmud.
The others are Gonojagaran Mancha Convener and spokesperson Imran H Sarker; Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee President Shahriar Kabir; 71 TV Managing Director Mozammel Haq Babu; journalist Farzana Rupa; former IGPs Hasan Mahmud Khandker, AKM Shahidul Hoque, Mohammad Javed Patwary and Benazir Ahmed; former RAB director general M Mokhlesur Rahman; former army chief General Aziz Ahmed; Major General (retd) Ziaul Ahsan; former RAB additional director general (Operations) Lieutenant General M Mujibur Rahman; former DIGs Abdul Jalil Mondal, Harun-or-Rashid, Biplob Kumar Sarkar and Syed Nurul Islam; former additional IGPs Sheikh Muhammad Maruf Hasan and Mahbub Hossain; former additional IGP (SB) Monirul Islam; former DMP deputy commissioner (Headquarters & Administration) M Anwar Hossain; former DMP DC (Traffic-South) Ashrafuzzaman; former DMP ADCs SM Mehedi Hasan and M Asaduzzaman; retired additional superintendent of police SM Shibly Noman; and former Motijheel Police Station officer-in-charge BM Forman Ali.
The tribunal ordered 10 accused currently in custody – Dipu Moni, Shamsul Haque Tuku, Ziaul Ahsan, former inspector general of police AKM Shahidul Haque, former deputy inspector general Molla Nazrul Islam, Shahriar Kabir, former DIG Abdul Jalil Mondal, journalist Farzana Rupa, Mozammel Haque Babu and former food minister Abdur Razzaque – be produced before it on 16 August.
Arrest warrants were issued against the remaining 31 accused who are currently absconding.
