A Cox's Bazar court on Sunday framed charges against 29 accused in the sensational murder of Mohib Ullah, an outspoken leader of the Rohingya community killed in September last year.
The accused were indicted by the court of District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Ismail in the afternoon.
Fifteen of the accused were in the dock at the time of charge framing. The remaining 14 are absconding.
Public Prosecutor Faridul Alam said the framing of the charges means judicial proceedings in the murder case have officially begun.
A total 31 people have been named as witnesses in the case. The testimony of the witnesses will be taken on the next date of the trial proceedings.
Ukhiya police submitted the charge sheet to the court on June 13. Officer-in-Charge (OC) Sheikh Mohammad Ali said four of the 15 arrested gave confessional statements under Section 164 of the Penal Code. Three witnesses also testified under Section 164.
Although 36 people have been found involved in the murder, the addresses of seven people could not be identified. As a result, the charge sheet was filed accusing 29 people.
Mohib Ullah was the chairman of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH), which has been facilitating the documentation of human rights abuses in Myanmar in 2016 and 2017.
He was shot dead by gunmen at the ARSPH office in the Rohingya camp in Ukhiya on the night of September 29, 2021.
His assassination is believed to be the most high-profile killing that has happened in the Rohingya camps of south-eastern Bangladesh. Mohib Ullah’s assassination drew worldwide outrage, with the international community condemning the murder.
On September 30, his younger brother Habibullah filed the murder case with the Ukhiya police station against unidentified attackers. OC (Investigation) Salah Uddin investigated the case.
Mohib Ullah’s family members blamed Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) for the murder, although Bangladesh does not recognize the organization’s presence in the country.
Aggrieved over Mohib Ullah’s leadership and popularity, armed groups murdered him to take over leadership in the camps, according to investigators.
A teacher in his 40s, Mohibullah arrived in Bangladesh during the 2016-17 Rohingya exodus from Myanmar. He came to prominence in 2019 when he met US President Donald Trump in the White House as part of a meeting with representatives of persecuted religious minorities. He also addressed the UN Human Rights Council.
Mohib emerged as a key refugee leader and spokesperson in international meetings. He led a rally of 200,000 refugees in Kutupalong in 2019 to mark the second anniversary of the 2017 crackdown in Myanmar.
Following his death and fearing insecurity, 11 members of Mohib Ullah’s family, including his wife Nasima Khatun, nine children and sons-in-law, left Bangladesh for Canada on March 31.