Charge-framing hearing begins against Sheikh Hasina and 40 others in Shapla Chattar killings case
The charge-framing hearing has begun against 41 people, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former ministers Dipu Moni and Abdur Razzaq, in the case over the killings centred on the Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar in the capital in 2013. The hearing began on Thursday (November 12) at International Crimes Tribunal-2.
Eleven of the accused who are in jail were produced before the International Crimes Tribunal to take part in the hearing. There are 41 accused in the case in total; 11 of them are in jail after arrest, while the remaining 30 are absconding.
Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam took part in the hearing. At the start, defence lawyers informed the tribunal that they had not received some documents of the case. An argument broke out between the prosecution and the defence over the matter.
Later, with the tribunal's permission, Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam began the hearing. He presented an account of the events that took place at Shapla Chattar. The proceedings are moving forward through the presentation of arguments by both sides on the framing of charges in the case.
The accused now in jail in this case are Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) president and former information minister Hasanul Haq Inu, former state minister for home affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku, former food minister Dr Abdur Razzaq, former minister Dr Dipu Moni, former minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Major General (retd) Ziaul Ahsan, former inspector general of police (IGP) A K M Shahidul Haque, former deputy inspector general (DIG) Abdul Jalil Mondal, Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee president Shahriar Kabir, Ekattor Television managing director Mozammel Haque Babu, and journalist Farzana Rupa.
Among the 30 absconding accused are deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Awami League presidium member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, former information minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, Awami League joint general secretary A F M Bahauddin Nasim, former state minister Advocate Mrinal Kanti Das, former minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, former minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, former Jubo League chairman Omar Faruk Chowdhury, former MP Salauddin Mahmud, and former Gonojagoron Mancha spokesperson Dr Imran H Sarker.
The absconding accused also include former inspectors general of police Hasan Mahmud Khandaker, Dr Mohammad Javed Patwary and Benazir Ahmed, former army chief General Aziz Ahmed, then RAB director general Md Asaduzzaman, former additional IGPs Sheikh Muhammad Maruf Hasan, Mahbub Hossain and Monirul Islam, and former DIGs Harun-or-Rashid, Biplab Kumar Sarkar and Syed Nurul Islam, among senior police officials.
