The International Crimes Tribunal has set December 4, for a hearing on the framing of formal charges against four accused, including Border Guard Bangladesh officer Lieutenant Colonel Redowanul Islam, in a crimes against humanity case over the killing of 28 people in Rampura during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in July–August.
At the same time, the tribunal appointed state defence counsel for the two absconding accused. The order was passed on Monday by the two-member International Crimes Tribunal-1, headed by Justice Md Shofiul Alam Mahmood. The other member is retired District and Sessions Judge Md Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury.
Prosecutor Mizanul Islam presented arguments for the prosecution, assisted by Prosecutor SM Moinul Karim and Prosecutor Tarek Abdullah. Masud Salahuddin appeared for the accused.
The defence sought permission to attend subsequent hearings virtually rather than in person.
The tribunal scheduled the hearing on that application for the same date. Earlier in the morning, police produced the two arrested army officers before the tribunal under tight security, transporting them from the special jail at Dhaka Cantonment in an air-conditioned green vehicle marked “Bangladesh Jail–Prison Van.”
The second accused, besides Redowanul, is former BGB officer Major Md Rafat Bin Alam.
The absconding accused are former DMP Khilgaon ADC Md Rashedul Islam and former Rampura police station OC Md Moshiur Rahman.
Redowanul and Rafat were first brought before the tribunal on October 22, from military custody.
After a hearing, Tribunal-1 showed them arrested in the case and sent them to jail.
The tribunal also ordered public notices in newspapers for the absconding accused and initially scheduled November 5 for hearing.
Following a prosecution plea, the date was later rescheduled to Monday, as per an order issued on October 26. During the July–August student-public demonstrations, the country witnessed widespread killings.
28 people were killed in Rampura alone, with many more injured. Redowanul was seen firing directly at demonstrators, while others led the violence.
The tribunal subsequently received separate formal charges against the four accused, following submission of the investigation report by the probe agency.