Tribunal observation: Awami League and its allies identified as a 'criminal organisation' over July attacks

The International Crimes Tribunal has identified the Bangladesh Awami League, the Jubo League, the Chhatra League and their political allies in the 14-party alliance as a criminal organisation over the widespread and systematic attacks on unarmed students and civilians across the country during the July 2024 mass uprising.

The attacks were carried out in a planned manner as part of implementing a common policy of persecution, the tribunal said in an observation in its verdict.

The observation came on Thursday (29 October) in the verdict in a crimes against humanity case against four Awami League leaders, including the party's joint general secretary Mahbub Ul Alam Hanif, over the killing of six people in Kushtia during the July uprising.

International Crimes Tribunal-2, led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, delivered the verdict. The other two members of the bench are Justice Md Manjurul Basid and Justice Nur Mohammad Shahriar Kabir.

Hanif was sentenced to death in the verdict. In the same case, Kushtia district Awami League president Md Sadar Uddin Khan, district general secretary Md Azgar Ali and Kushtia town Awami League general secretary Md Ataur Rahman Ata were sentenced to imprisonment until death.

The tribunal also ordered the confiscation of half of the convicts' immovable property. It directed that the confiscated property be given as compensation to the families of those martyred and injured in the July uprising, through the July Foundation or another channel. All four convicts are fugitives.

On the fifth charge, concerning 'common intent and criminal organisation', the verdict said that during the July uprising the Awami League, Jubo League, Chhatra League and their political allies in the 14-party alliance jointly carried out planned and systematic attacks across the country targeting ordinary students and civilians, as part of implementing a common policy of persecution. The attacks were part of a widespread and systematic assault, the charge also stated.

The verdict said Hanif and the other accused, as part of that organisational structure, knowingly and deliberately worked to implement the common policy of persecution. Through this, the verdict said, they committed crimes against humanity under sections 3(2)(a) and 4(1) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973.

Charges against the accused—jointly and separately—of murder, attempted murder, torture, incitement, conspiracy, instigation, aiding the commission of crimes and participation in a widespread and systematic attack on the civilian population, amounting to crimes against humanity, were proved, according to the verdict. The accused were sentenced to life imprisonment on this charge.

Prosecutor Gazi M H Tamim said the fifth charge raised the issue of 'joint criminal enterprise', or a common criminal purpose, and of a criminal organisation. At the charge-framing stage, the tribunal had said the crimes against humanity committed through widespread and systematic attacks across the country were part of the Awami League's organisational plan, and that the Awami League, Jubo League, Chhatra League and the 14-party alliance had implemented that plan.

According to Tamim, the charge was proved before the tribunal and all four accused were sentenced to life imprisonment on it. The verdict, he said, contains an observation identifying the Awami League, Chhatra League, Jubo League and the 14-party alliance as a criminal organisation.