ICT hears Inu defence, frames charges in Tayim case

Counsel for JSD President Hasanul Haq Inu yesterday played two video clips submitted by a defence witness in a crimes against humanity case, and told a tribunal that Inu’s remarks in the footage reflected his positive and supportive stance towards protesting students during the July uprising.

Testifying as a defence witness, Shoriful Kobir Shopon, public relations affairs secretary of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, placed the two videos before International Crimes Tribunal-2.

In the first clip, Inu is heard saying there had been many deaths. “I regret that, and the government must take responsibility for it…,” he said.

In the second clip, Inu says, “The quota system should neither be retained nor scrapped entirely; rather, it needs reform. As a freedom fighter, I believe the quota system should be reformed. The students have taken to the streets demanding quota reform, and their concerns are resolvable.”

However, the prosecution told the tribunal that Inu had taken a double stand during the uprising.

During cross-examination, prosecutor Minazul Islam said although Inu spoke in favour of the students in the media, he actually took a position against them and supported suppressing the movement by using lethal weapons.

The prosecutor claimed Inu’s double role was revealed in audio phone conversations with former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

The tribunal adjourned proceedings in the case till today.

In a separate case, the tribunal framed charges against 11 former police officers over the killing of Imam Hasan Bhuiyan Tayim, a 12th grader, in Dhaka’s Jatrabari on July 20 during the uprising.

The tribunal said it found sufficient grounds to frame charges in the case.

The accused are former Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Habibur Rahman; former DMP joint police commissioner Sudip Kumar Chakraborty; former Wari Division deputy commissioner Iqbal Hossain; former additional deputy commissioner (Demra Zone) Md Masudur Rahman Monir; former ADC (Wari Zone) SM Shamim; former assistant police commissioner Nahid Ferdous; former Jatrabari OC Abul Hossain; Inspector (investigation) Md Zakir Hossain; Inspector (operation) Md Wahidul Haque Mamun; and sub-inspectors Sajjad Uz Zaman and Md Shahadat Ali of the same police station.

Two of the accused, Abul Hossain and Zakir Hossain, who are currently in custody, pleaded not guilty before the tribunal yesterday.

The tribunal set March 29 for opening statements and recording witness testimonies.

Tayim, the son of a police officer, was seen in widely circulated video footage being shot at close range by another policeman while a friend tried to pull him away.