In a case concerning mass killings during the July uprising, five formal charges have been filed at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), naming former prime minister Sheikh Hasina as the key accused.
On Sunday, the three-member International Crimes Tribunal, led by Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mazumdar, took the charges into cognizance and issued an order accordingly.
The other two accused are former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former inspector general of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.
At the time, Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam and other prosecutors were present at the tribunal.
The five charges accepted by the tribunal are as follows:
Specific crime 1
On July 14, 2024, during a press conference held at Ganabhaban, accused Sheikh Hasina made an inciting speech.
Following this, with the instigation, assistance, and involvement of accused Asaduzzaman Khan, accused Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, and other senior members of the then-government, members of the law enforcement under their authority and armed Awami criminals launched widespread and systematic attacks on unarmed and innocent students and civilians.
The crimes included murder, attempted murder, torture, and other inhumane acts, through incitement, provocation, assistance, involvement, failure to prevent the crimes, failure to prosecute the perpetrators, and conspiracy.
These were allegedly carried out with the knowledge of the accused.
Specific crime 2
Accused Hasina ordered the extermination of protestors through the use of helicopters, drones, and lethal weapons.
Then-home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and then-IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun executed her orders by instructing law enforcement officers under their command.
The order, facilitation, involvement, and conspiracy to commit these acts constitute crimes against humanity knowingly carried out by the accused.
Specific crime 3
Following Hasina’s inciting speech and her directive to use lethal weapons on student protestors, and with the instigation and assistance of Asaduzzaman Khan, Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, and other senior officials of the government, members of law enforcement and armed Awami militants allegedly carried out systematic attacks.
As part of this, on July 16 last year, in front of Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur, an unarmed protestor named Abu Sayed was shot multiple times at close range in the chest without provocation, resulting in his brutal death.
This act was allegedly carried out with the knowledge and direction of the accused and constitutes crimes against humanity through incitement, provocation, assistance, involvement, and conspiracy.
Specific crime 4
Following Hasina’s incitement and directive to use deadly force against student protestors, on August 5 last year in the Chankharpul area of Dhaka, law enforcement officers of the then-government, with the instigation, assistance, and involvement of Asaduzzaman Khan, Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, and others, allegedly shot and killed six unarmed students and civilians.
These acts were allegedly carried out knowingly under the direction, incitement, and conspiracy of the accused and constitute crimes against humanity.
Specific crime 5
Following the same directive by Sheikh Hasina to kill student protestors using deadly weapons, and with the instigation and assistance of Asaduzzaman Khan, Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, and other high officials, law enforcement and armed Awami militants allegedly attacked unarmed civilians.
On August 5 last year, in front of Ashulia police station and surrounding areas in Dhaka district, six unarmed protestors were allegedly shot, five of whom were killed, and one was seriously injured and then burned alive.
These acts, carried out with the knowledge of the accused, involve murder, incitement, assistance, conspiracy, and other inhumane acts amounting to crimes against humanity.
The shooting and burning of six individuals in Ashulia on August 5 last year involved murder, torture, and acts of burning people both alive and post-mortem, through direction, provocation, assistance, involvement, and conspiracy.
Earlier, on May 12, investigators submitted their report on the July-August mass-murder, naming Sheikh Hasina as the one who issued the orders behind the massacre.
