Shapla Chattar case: charge-framing hearing against Hasina and 41 others deferred to November 12

The hearing on framing charges against 41 accused, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, in a crimes against humanity case over the 2013 Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel, Dhaka, has been deferred. International Crimes Tribunal-2 set November 12 as the new date for the hearing. The tribunal passed the order on Sunday (November 1).

Earlier, on September 16, the tribunal had set October 7 for the charge-framing hearing. Following a time petition from the defence that day, the hearing date was deferred to November 1. The hearing did not take place on Sunday either, and the court deferred the date again.

Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim said accused former IGP AKM Shahidul Hoque has been admitted to hospital due to illness. In a report submitted to the tribunal, the jail authorities said it was not possible to produce him before the tribunal because of his physical condition. For this reason the charge-framing hearing did not take place, he said.

The 11 arrested accused in the case are former ministers Abdul Latif Siddique, Abdur Razzaq, Dipu Moni and Hasanul Huq Inu, former state minister Shamsul Hoque Tuku, former IGP AKM Shahidul Hoque, former army officer Ziaul Ahsan, former DIG Abdul Jalil Mondal, Ekattor Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee (Ghadanik) president Shahriar Kabir, Ekattor TV managing director Mozammel Hoque Babu and journalist Farzana Rupa.

Among the 30 fugitive accused in the case are Sheikh Hasina, Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Hasan Mahmud Chowdhury, AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Mrinal Kanti Das, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, former IGP Hasan Mahmud Khandker, former IGP Mohammad Javed Patwari, former IGP Benazir Ahmed, former RAB director general Md Mokhlesur Rahman and former BGB director general Aziz Ahmed, among others.

The allegation says a massacre took place at the Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar on May 5, 2013. According to the complaint, police, BGB and RAB of the then government, together with members of the Awami League, Chhatra League and Jubo League, carried out the killings to eliminate Hefazat-e-Islam. The prosecution said the investigation by the International Crimes Tribunal’s investigation agency found information that alem-ulemas, including children, were shot indiscriminately.

The prosecution claims the Shapla Chattar killings were a planned act of the then Awami League government and that senior officials of the law enforcement agencies implemented the government plan. The prosecution also claims a decision to use grenades and lethal weapons was taken at a meeting of ministers and administration officials before the operation. The complaint says Hefazat-e-Islam leaders and activists, including children, were killed as part of that plan.

Hefazat-e-Islam leader Azizul Hoque first filed the complaint over the May 5, 2013 Shapla Chattar incident with the chief prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal. He filed it on behalf of Hefazat leaders Junayed Al Habib and Maulana Mamunul Hoque. Although 21 people were accused in the initial complaint, after investigation the prosecution submitted formal charges against 41 people. After a hearing, the court took the formal charges into cognisance.