Charge-framing hearing today for Hasina, Benazir, Aziz and 38 others in Shapla Chattar case

The hearing on framing formal charges against 41 accused, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, in a crimes against humanity case over the events surrounding the Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar in the capital's Motijheel on May 5, 2013, is being held today.

The hearing is scheduled for Thursday (November 12) before the three-member judicial panel of International Crimes Tribunal-2, headed by its chairman Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury.

According to prosecution sources, the hearing on framing formal charges in the case was earlier fixed for November 1. But former IGP A K M Shahidul Haque, one of the 11 arrested accused, fell ill and could not be produced before the tribunal. The court therefore deferred that day's hearing and rescheduled it for November 12.

Apart from Shahidul Haque, the accused arrested in this case and now in jail are Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASAD) president and former information minister Hasanul Haq Inu, then state minister for home affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku, former food minister Dr Abdur Razzaque, former minister Dr Dipu Moni, former minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Major General (retd) Ziaul Ahsan, former DIG Abdul Jalil Mondal, Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee president Shahriar Kabir, Ekattor TV managing director Mozammel Haque Babu and journalist Farzana Rupa.

Sheikh Hasina and the remaining 30 accused in the case are currently absconding. The fugitives include then home minister Dr Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, Awami League leaders Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Dr Hasan Mahmud, A F M Bahauddin Nasim, Mrinal Kanti Das, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Omar Faruk Chowdhury, Salauddin Mahmud, Gonojagoron Mancha spokesperson Dr Imran H Sarker, former IGPs Hasan Mahmud Khandker, Dr Mohammad Javed Patwary and Benazir Ahmed, former army chief General Aziz Ahmed, then RAB director general Md Mokhlesur Rahman, then additional director general Lt Gen Md Mojibur Rahman, and former police officials including ex-DIG Harun-or-Rashid and Biplob Kumar Sarkar.

Earlier, on July 27, the tribunal took the charges against all 41 accused into cognisance and issued arrest warrants.

Later, on the basis of the police's non-execution report (NER), a surrender notice was published in newspapers on September 3. As they did not appear, the 30 accused were declared fugitives on September 16 and lawyers were appointed for them at state expense.

The prosecution has brought two specific charges of crimes against humanity in this case.

The first charge concerns the killing of 32 people during the operation at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel, Dhaka, on the night of May 5, 2013.

The second charge details the killing of 20 people the next day, May 6, at Siddhirganj in Narayanganj, along with killings and repression at various places across the country.