ICT accepts charges against Tapash, Nanak, 26 others

International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday took cognisance of three charges against ex-DSCC mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, former minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak and 26 others for crimes against humanity over the killing of nine people, including two students, at Mohammadpur during the July uprising.

Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam placed the charges before the tribunal, which accepted them, issued arrest warrants against the accused and ordered authorities to produce them by January 29.

The tribunal also directed that four accused currently in custody be produced before the court.

Other accused include former Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Habibur Rahman, joint commissioner Biplob Kumar Sarkar, former additional deputy inspector general Proloy Kumar Zoarder, and the then additional deputy commissioner of DMP’s Mohammadpur Zone Rawshanul Haque Shaikat.

Ansar member Omar Faruk, who was caught on video allegedly shooting a protester, is also an accused, while the rest are local leaders and activists of the Awami League and its front organisations.

Prosecutors alleged that senior police officials, including Habibur, Proloy, Biplob and Rawshanul, ordered and facilitated the use of Chinese rifles, shotguns and live ammunition.

Armed party cadres, including Sheikh Bazlur Rahman, Azizul Haque Rana, MA Sattar, Tofail Siddique, Ismail Hossain, Asif Ahmed, Hasan Nur Islam and Tarequzzaman Rajib, allegedly acted alongside police, fired on unarmed and peaceful protesters on Nanak’s directive, killing the two and injuring other protesters.

Meanwhile, the ICT-2 set January 22 for deciding whether charges will be framed against AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader and six other senior leaders of the party and its affiliated organisations over alleged crimes against humanity committed during the July 2024 uprising.

The other accused are AL Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim; former state minister Mohammad Ali Arafat; Jubo League Chairman Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash and its General Secretary Moinul Hossain Khan Nikhil; and Chhatra League President Saddam Hussain and General Secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Enan.

All seven accused are absconding.

According to the prosecution, Quader has been accused on three counts for issuing directives, instigation and provocation that had allegedly led to attacks, killings and injuries to numerous unarmed protesters.

He is said to have played a “key role” in planning, directing and facilitating nationwide atrocities during the July uprising.

The prosecution further alleged that Nasim, Arafat, Parash, Saddam and Enan directly facilitated, incited, abetted and were complicit in the crimes, and failed to prevent the killings and injuries inflicted by law enforcers and AL leaders and activists.

Nikhil, it was claimed, directly shot at protesters.