The International Crimes Tribunal on Sunday ordered jail authorities to produce 14 political leaders, a retired Supreme Court judge, five former police officers, and a dismissed army officer before it.
The three-member tribunal, led by its chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, also issued warrants for the arrest of former Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Habibur Rahman and 16 other former high-ranking police officials.
The tribunal ordered the production of the 20 on November 18 and 20 and ordered the arrest of the 17 on charges of crimes against humanity linked to the student-people uprising that overthrew Sheikh Hasina from power.
In the face of the uprising, Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled to India on August 5.
Judges Md Shofiul Alam Mahmood and M Mohitul Hoque Anam Chawdhury are two other members of the tribunal.
Following applications submitted by chief prosecutor Md Tajul Islam, the tribunal directed that the 14 politicians would be brought before the tribunal on November 18, with the remaining six defendants scheduled to be produced on November 20.
All 20 detainees are currently held in various jails in connection with murder cases filed by the families of victims who lost their lives during the uprising.
The 14 politicians facing the crimes against humanity charges are former ministers Anisul Huq, Faruk Khan, Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, Shahjahan Khan, Kamal Ahmed Mojumder, Dipu Moni, former advisers to then prime minister Sheikh Hasina Salman F Rahman and Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal president Hasanul Haque Inu, former textile and jute minister Golam Dastagir Gazi, former information and communication technology state minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak, retired Appellate Division judge AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury, and former home secretary Jahangir Alam.
Additionally, five former police officers and one former army officer, including former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, dismissed Major General Ziaul Ahsan, and former Dhaka district officials Abdullahhil Kafi, Abul Hasan, Mazharul Islam, and Arafat Hossain have been summoned to appear on November 20. Chief prosecutor Tajul Islam confirmed that the tribunal granted their request to arrest these officials based on preliminary evidence gathered by investigators.
The tribunal ordered the arrest of former Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Habibur Rahman and 16 other former high-ranking police officers in connection with alleged crimes against humanity during the July-August student-led uprising.
The tribunal has directed the inspector general of police to execute the warrants and report on their status by November 18.
Chief prosecutor Tajul Islam requested the tribunal to withhold the names of most of the implicated officers to prevent them from evading arrest.
He, however, identified key figures, including former Rapid Action Battalion officer Harun-Ar-Rashid, former Special Branch chief Monirul Islam, former Detective Branch chief Harun-Or-Rashid, and former Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioners Biplob Kumar Sarker and Proloy Kumar Joarder.
Tajul Islam alleged that these high-ranking officers were involved in actions to suppress protesters, a strategy reportedly driven by Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 Awami League and its 14-party alliance.
In his briefing, prosecutor Tajul Islam disclosed that International Crimes Tribunal investigators had provided a list of 70鈥�75 individuals to the prosecution, from which they selected names for arrest warrants based on initial findings.
The tribunal鈥檚 ongoing investigation underscores the gravity of the July-August uprising and the potential accountability for alleged human rights abuses.
With all the named parties facing charges, the tribunal鈥檚 proceedings are a critical step in addressing the violent suppression that marked this historic movement, according to the prosecution.
