The government is considering expanding tribunal sessions to address the rising number of cases and accused individuals linked to the July-August uprising, said International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam.
He shared the update with the three-member International Crimes Tribunal, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder, on Monday.
Tajul Islam also said that the government is considering increasing the manpower in both the tribunal’s investigation agency and prosecution team to expedite proceedings.
He emphasized the need for skilled personnel to ensure the tribunal functions efficiently.
Following the discussion, the tribunal ordered the arrest of former inspector general of police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque, former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia, and former superintendent of police (SP) Jasim Uddin Mollah.
The three are accused of crimes against humanity in the 2016 shooting of nine individuals, allegedly under the pretence of a militant raid at a building in Dhaka’s Kalyanpur. The investigation report for this case has been scheduled for submission by May 7.
Additionally, the tribunal has set June 18 as the deadline for the submission of an investigation report against former additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of Darussalam Zone MM Mainul Islam and others accused in the July-August massacre in Mirpur.
Another investigation report, related to the shooting of a student hanging from a building cornice in Rampura, must be submitted by April 28. The accused in this case include former sub-inspector (SI) Chanchal Chandra and former assistant commissioner (AC) Rajen Kumar Saha.
Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam and Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim represented the prosecution in court.
Earlier in the day, the tribunal produced former IGP Shahidul Haque, former DMP commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia, and former SP Jasim Uddin Mollah before the court in connection with the Kalyanpur shooting case.
Meanwhile, former ADC MM Mainul Islam, former SI Chanchal Chandra, and former AC Rajen Kumar Saha were also brought before the tribunal in connection with the Rampura student shooting case. All of them were transported to court in a prison van.
The Kalyanpur raid, which took place in 2016, was officially described as an operation against an alleged militant hideout in a building known as "Jahaj Bari." However, it resulted in the shooting deaths of nine young men with reported Islamic leanings.
On March 6, the International Crimes Tribunal ordered the arrest of three former police officers — Shahidul Haque, Asaduzzaman Mia, and Jasim Uddin Mollah — in connection with the Kalyanpur shooting.
Additionally, three other former police officials were ordered to appear in cases related to the July uprising.
