The investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Monday filed its probe report in a crimes against humanity and mass killing case lodged against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and two others over crimes committed during the July uprising.
“The probe body completed its investigation within six months and 28 days and brought five charges against the mastermind of the crimes and superior commandant Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former inspector general of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah AlMamun,” ICT Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam said while talking to journalists at a press briefing marking the submission of the probe report.
The chief prosecutor said the investigation agency implicated the ousted prime minister in inciting crimes against humanity through her July 14 press briefing, where she described the anti-discrimination protesters as grandchildren of Razakars.
“She unleashed the various law enforcement and intelligence agencies on them (the protesting students). Apart from the state agencies, armed members of the Awami League and its associate bodies like Jubo League and Chhatra League swooped on the protesters with all their might. They slaughtered the agitating students, injured them, and committed crimes against humanity,” Tajul said.
The ICT chief prosecutor said the probe body, in the second charge, accused Hasina of giving direct orders to commit crimes against humanity.
“The investigation agency seized records of some telephonic conversations of Sheikh Hasina, where she repeatedly ensured that she ordered all the state agencies to eliminate all the innocent civilians who were protesting peacefully for a fair demand, by using helicopters, drones, and APCs (armoured personnel carriers),” he added.
The three other charges were related to particular incidents where crimes were committed following the directions of Hasina, the chief prosecutor confirmed.
