The hearing of the formal indictment against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and eight others in the case of crimes against humanity committed in the killing of nine youths in a militant drama at a building called Jahazbari in the capital’s Kalyanpur has been postponed again. The tribunal has fixed September 27 (Sunday) for the next hearing in the matter.
A two-member judicial panel led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, Chairman of the International Crimes Tribunal-2, issued the order on Thursday (September 24). The other member of the panel is Judge Nur Mohammad Shahriar Kabir.
Prosecutors Gazi MH Tamim, Faruk Ahmed, Zahirul Amin, Moinul Karim and others were present at the tribunal on behalf of the prosecution.
The prosecution said that the case was under Tribunal-1. However, during the hearing of the accused, it was transferred to Tribunal-2. In view of this, on August 21, the prosecution filed a formal charge against the eight accused and concluded the hearing by requesting the start of the trial. The hearing on the application for discharge or exemption by the accused was scheduled for today. However, it was postponed due to the lack of a full bench.
Earlier, on July 21, at the hearing on the framing of charges at Tribunal-1, Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim presented detailed details of the case, including the location of the incident.
He said that during the Awami League government, young people were caught from different parts of the country, branded as militants and taken to Jahazbari in Kalyanpur to be killed. Many of the victims’ family members have given statements to the investigation officer. They will be presented as witnesses during the testimony phase. At the same time, he requested that charges be framed against the eight accused on prima facie grounds. Later, on the application of lawyer Sultan Mahmud Simon, the accused sought time for the hearing. In the meantime, the case was transferred under Tribunal-2.
Former IGP AKM Shahidul Haque and former DMP Commissioner Md. Asaduzzaman Mia, who are currently in jail in this case, were present at the tribunal today.
The other absconding accused, including Sheikh Hasina, are former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, then Additional Commissioner (Crime and Ops) of DMP Sheikh Muhammad Maruf Hasan, then CTTC Chief Monirul Islam, then Joint Commissioner (Crime) of DMP Krishnapada Roy and then Joint Commissioner (DB) Abdul Baten.
Tribunal-1 took into account the formal complaint filed by the prosecution on January 29 of this year. Later, on March 8, state defense was appointed for the six absconding accused.
According to the prosecution, on the night of July 25, 2016, the police’s Counter Terrorism Unit conducted a raid on an alleged militant hideout in a building known as Jahajbari in Kalyanpur, the capital. In the raid, codenamed ‘Operation Storm-26’, nine youths were shot dead. The case alleges that the incident was a planned crime against humanity.
Earlier, on July 21, at the hearing on the framing of charges at Tribunal-1, Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim presented detailed details of the case, including the location of the incident.
He said that during the Awami League government, young people were caught from different parts of the country, branded as militants and taken to Jahazbari in Kalyanpur to be killed. Many of the victims’ family members have given statements to the investigation officer. They will be presented as witnesses during the testimony phase. At the same time, he requested that charges be framed against the eight accused on prima facie grounds. Later, on the application of lawyer Sultan Mahmud Simon, the accused sought time for the hearing. In the meantime, the case was transferred under Tribunal-2.
Former IGP AKM Shahidul Haque and former DMP Commissioner Md. Asaduzzaman Mia, who are currently in jail in this case, were present at the tribunal today.
The other absconding accused, including Sheikh Hasina, are former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, then Additional Commissioner (Crime and Ops) of DMP Sheikh Muhammad Maruf Hasan, then CTTC Chief Monirul Islam, then Joint Commissioner (Crime) of DMP Krishnapada Roy and then Joint Commissioner (DB) Abdul Baten.
Tribunal-1 took into account the formal complaint filed by the prosecution on January 29 of this year. Later, on March 8, state defense was appointed for the six absconding accused.
According to the prosecution, on the night of July 25, 2016, the police’s Counter Terrorism Unit conducted a raid on an alleged militant hideout in a building known as Jahajbari in Kalyanpur, the capital. In the raid, codenamed ‘Operation Storm-26’, nine youths were shot dead. The case alleges that the incident was a planned crime against humanity.