Prosecution seeks start of trial of Hasina and 41 others in Shapla Chattar case, defence hearing on 16 November

The prosecution has applied to frame formal charges and start the trial of 41 accused, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, in a crimes against humanity case over the events surrounding the Hefazat-e-Islam grand rally at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel in the capital on 5 May 2013.

Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam made the application on Thursday afternoon (12 November) before the three-member judicial panel of International Crimes Tribunal-2, led by its chairman Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury. The other two members are Judge Md Manjurul Bachid and Judge Nur Mohammad Shahriar Kabir.

The chief prosecutor began the hearing at noon. He read out the separate formal charges brought against the 41 accused and presented the background of the case, along with various matters from the Awami League government's period in power.

In the hearing, the chief prosecutor also described how Sheikh Hasina became an autocrat. At the end of the hearing, Aminul Islam applied for formal charges to be framed against the accused and for the trial to begin.

The tribunal then fixed 16 November for the defence to present its submissions.

The 11 arrested accused include Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) president and former information minister Hasanul Haq Inu, then state minister for home affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku, then food minister Dr Abdur Razzaque, former minister Dr Dipu Moni, former minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui, former IGP AKM Shahidul Haque, Major General (retd) Ziaul Ahsan, former DIG Abdul Jalil Mondal, Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee president Shahriar Kabir, 71 TV managing director Mozammel Haque Babu and journalist Farzana Rupa.

The fugitive accused, including Sheikh Hasina, include then home minister Dr Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, Awami League presidium member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, then information minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, former state minister Advocate Mrinal Kanti Das, joint general secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak, former minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, then Jubo League chairman Omar Faruk Chowdhury, former MP Salauddin Mahmud, Gonojagoron Mancha convener and spokesperson Dr Imran H Sarker, former IGP Hasan Mahmud Khandaker, Dr Mohammad Javed Patwary, Benazir Ahmed, former army chief General Aziz Ahmed and other senior former police officials.

Earlier, 1 November had been fixed for the formal charge-framing hearing in this case. However, the hearing did not take place that day because former IGP AKM Shahidul Haque, one of the 11 arrested accused, could not appear before the tribunal due to illness. The tribunal then fixed 12 November as the new date.

In continuation of that, the prosecution completed the hearing on Thursday.

On 27 July, Tribunal-2 took cognisance of the formal charges submitted by the prosecution against the 41 accused. At the same time, arrest warrants were issued against the fugitive accused and the arrested accused were ordered to be produced.

On 3 September, the tribunal ordered notices to be published in two national dailies directing Sheikh Hasina and 30 accused to surrender. Law enforcement agencies submitted a non-execution report (NER) to the prosecution, saying the accused could not be traced at their permanent and temporary addresses.

Later, on 16 September, as they did not surrender, the tribunal showed the 30 accused as fugitives and ordered the appointment of lawyers for them at government expense.

A total of two charges have been brought in this case. The first charge mentions the killing of 32 people at Shapla Chattar in the capital on 5 May 2013, and the second charge mentions killings including 20 people in Siddhirganj, Narayanganj, on 6 May and at various places in the country.