Patartek Killing of Seven Youths in Gazipur: Charge-Framing Hearing for Hasina and 9 Others on 17 November

The charge-framing hearing against 10 accused, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, in the case of crimes against humanity over the killing of seven youths who were labelled militants in Patartek, Gazipur, will be held on 17 November.

On Wednesday (28 October), International Crimes Tribunal-2 set this date for the hearing. The day had been scheduled for the charge-framing hearing.

Lawyer Sifat Mahmud sought time because accused former IGP A K M Shahidul Haque is ill. The court granted the application and set the new date for the hearing.

The prosecution alleges that seven people detained from various places in the country were taken to a house in Patartek, Gazipur, and shot dead on 8 October 2016. At that time, they were identified as militants.

However, the investigation by the International Crimes Tribunal's investigation agency has found that those seven were arrested at various times from various places in the country and kept disappeared for a long time. The investigation states that they were later shot dead.

One of the seven killed, Ibrahim, studied at a madrasa in Jatrabari. After the July mass uprising, his father applied to the tribunal's investigation agency alleging that his son had been disappeared and killed. After the investigation, the agency submitted its report to the prosecution.

After examining that report, the prosecution filed formal charges on 3 February against 10 people, including Sheikh Hasina, former IGP A K M Shahidul Haque and Mohammad Javed Patwary.

The other accused in this case are former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former police officials Md Asaduzzaman Mia, Md Monirul Islam, Harun Or Rashid, Asaduzzaman, Arifur Rahman Mondal and S M Jahangir Hasan.

The prosecution has claimed that crimes against humanity were committed in the incident in which seven youths were killed in Patartek after being labelled militants.