The International Crimes Tribunal has ordered journalists Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Babu, along with former minister Dr Dipu Moni, to appear in connection with a case over crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the crackdown on a Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel.
The tribunal ordered them to appear on May 14.
The order was passed on Thursday by a two-member judicial panel of International Crimes Tribunal-1 led by Justice Md Shafiul Alam Mahmud. The other member of the panel is Judge Md Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury.
Earlier in the day, the prosecution filed an application seeking production warrants against the three.
Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim represented the prosecution during the hearing.
Following the hearing, the tribunal ordered that the accused be produced before the court and fixed May 14 for the next hearing.
The case is currently under investigation, with the probe report scheduled to be submitted on June 7.
Six accused in the case are currently in jail. They are former state minister for home affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku, Major General (retd) Ziaul Ahsan, former inspector general of police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque, former deputy inspector general of police (DIG) Mollah Nazrul Islam, Shahriar Kabir, president of the advisory board of Ekattorer Ghatak-Dalal Nirmul Committee, and former DIG Abdul Jalil Mandal.
On May 5, 2013, Hefazat-e-Islam leader Azizul Haque filed a complaint with the tribunal’s chief prosecutor over the Shapla Chattar incident on behalf of Hefazat leaders Junaid Al Habib and Maulana Mamunul Haque.
A total of 21 people were accused in the complaint.
