The International Crimes Tribunal has ordered the start of trial proceedings against 11 accused in a crimes against humanity case over the killing of Imam Hasan Taim, son of a police officer, in Jatrabari during the July uprising.
The tribunal also fixed March 29 for opening statements and the recording of testimony.
The order was passed on Sunday by a three-member bench of International Crimes Tribunal-2, led by Chairman Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury.
Prosecutors Mizanul Islam, Gazi MH Tamim, Faruk Ahmed and Abdus Sobhan Tarafdar, among others, appeared for the prosecution. Advocate Abul Hasan represented the two arrested accused, while state defence lawyers M Hasan Imam and Lokman Howlader appeared for the nine absconding accused.
Earlier in the day, two accused—then officer-in-charge of Jatrabari Police Station Abul Hasan and former sub-inspector Shahadat Ali—were produced before the tribunal.
The absconding accused include then DMP commissioner Habibur Rahman, joint commissioner Sudip Kumar Chakraborty, former Wari zone DC Iqbal Hossain, ADC Shakil Mohammad Shamim, then Demra zone ADC Md Masudur Rahman Monir, assistant police commissioner Nahid Ferdous, Jatrabari police inspector (investigation) Zakir Hossain, inspector (operations) Ohidul Haque Mamun and SI (unarmed) Sajjad Uz Zaman.
The tribunal read out the charges against the accused. Abul Hasan faces three charges, including murder and command responsibility. Two charges were brought against accused numbers eight to ten, while Shahadat Ali was charged with political persecution for allegedly preparing a false security report that led to a case against the July protesters.
When asked whether they pleaded guilty, the two accused present in court denied the charges.
According to the prosecution, Taim was shot dead at close range on July 20, 2024, in the Kajla area of Jatrabari during the July uprising, allegedly on the orders of senior DMP officials. His friend Rahat was also shot when he attempted to rescue him.
Taim’s father, Md Moynal Hossain Bhuiyan, is a sub-inspector posted at Rajarbagh Police Lines.