A total of 20 people, including 10 former ministers of the Awami League-led government, have been shown arrested in a case filed with the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) over the genocide that occurred during the student-led mass uprising in July and August.
The three-member tribunal led by its Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mazumdar passed the order on Sunday (October 27)
The tribunal also asked the authorities concerned to produce all the 20 accused before the court on November 18, said ICT Chief Prosecutor Advocate Mohammad Tajul Islam.
During the hearing, it was noted that the ICT investigation agency found primary proof of the involvement of all accused in the mass killing.
Earlier, Tajul Islam submitted two separate petitions seeking the court’s order to produce the accused before the tribunal.
The accused are- former law minister Anisul Huq, former commerce minister Faruk Khan, former education minister Dipu Moni, former social welfare minister Rashed Khan Menon, former information minister Hasanul Haq Inu, former agriculture minister Abdur Razzaque, former shipping minister Shahjahan Khan, former jute and textiles minister Golam Dastagir Gazi, former state minister for industries Kamal Ahmed Majumder, former state minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, former energy adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, former adviser Salman F Rahman, Ziaul Ahsan, former justice Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik, former home affairs secretary Jahangir Alam, former inspector general of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, former additional superintendent of police (ASP) Abdullahel Kafi, former detective branch (DB) of police inspector Arafat Hossain, Abul Hasan and Mazharul Islam.
They are currently in jail after being arrested in connection with other cases.
As the main ICT building was undergoing repairs, the tribunal began procedures at a temporary court at 12:30pm on Sunday.
On the other hand, the ICT has summoned 14 people, including former ministers Anisul Huq and Dipu Moni to the court in connection with the cases filed over the genocide in July and August.
Chief Prosecutor Mohammed Tajul Islam and prosecutors, including Gazi Monawar Hussain Tamim and BM Sultan Mahmud, were present in the court.
Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam petitioned to bring the 14 suspects arrested in other cases to the tribunal over crimes against humanity. The tribunal ordered them to be presented before the court on November 18.
On October 17, the tribunal issued arrest warrants against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former Awami League’s general secretary Obaidul Quader and 44 others in separate cases over crimes against humanity during the genocide in July and August.
The suspects also included Hasina’s sister Sheikh Rehana, sonSajeeb Wazed Joy, cousin ex-MP Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, her nephews former DSCC mayor Fazle Nur Taposh and ex-Jubo league chairman Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash.
Warrants were also issued against ex-ministers Obaidul Quader, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, AKM Mozammel Haque, Anisul Huq, Dipu Moni and state ministers Mohammed A Arafat and Zunaid Ahmed Palak.
Others facing arrest warrants are Hasina’s former advisor Tarek Ahmed Siddique, ex-NTMC director general Ziaul Ahsan, former justice Manik, and former professor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology Zafar Iqbal.
The tribunal also issued arrest warrants for 17 high-ranking police officers, including former inspector general Al-Mamun and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner Habibur Rahman, in connection with the mass killings during the July-August movement.
Chief Prosecutor Tajul had previously filed a petition to summon them to the tribunal.
The other officers facing arrest warrants include Harunor Rahman, former chief of the DMP's Detective Branch, Biplob Kumar Sarkar, former joint commissioner of the DMP, Pralay Kumar Joarder, former additional IGP, Harun-Ar-Rashid, former director general of RAB, and Monirul Islam, former additional inspector general of police.
Confirming the matter, Tajul Islam said the tribunal ordered the authorities concerned to produce them before it on November 20.
The chief prosecutor also said the prosecution has so far filed three miscellaneous cases, of which one was filed against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, another was against former cabinet members including Obaidul Quader and today the third one was filed against former police officials.
Till the middle of October, 60 complaints on enforced disappearances, killings and genocide were lodged at the ICT, accusing former premier Sheikh Hasina, leaders of the Awami League-led 14 party alliance, senior officials of the law enforcement agencies.
