The Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh on Tuesday filed a complaint with the International Crimes Tribunal accusing deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 49 others of genocide and crimes against humanity during the crackdown on its sit-in at Shapla Chattar in Dhaka on May 5-6, 2013.
The complainant, Hefazat joint secretary general Moulana Azizul Haque Islamabadi, without mentioning the number of deaths during the incident, alleged that the law enforcers fired 54,000 bullets in the midnight operation to disperse the protesters resulting in genocide.
Azizul claimed that the operation named as 鈥榝lush-out mission鈥� involved excessive use of force, including indiscriminate firing on Hefazat supporters.
Azizul was accompanied by Hefazat senior joint secretary general and Dhaka metropolitan unit president Junaid Al Habib and former joint secretary general Muhammad Mamunul Haque, now secretary general of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, during the filing of the complaint.
The three leaders had previously been detained in connection with the 2013 mayhem and were later released on bail. They are, however, facing a number of cases filed by the police for the 2013 incidents.
Emerging from the tribunal, Junaid Al Habib referred to Hasina鈥檚 statement in the parliament at the time that law enforcers fired 54,000 bullets during the operation.
鈥業magine how many lives were lost,鈥� he said, while pointing to international media reports and video footage of reported removal of bodies by trucks.
Hefazat leaders reiterated their demand for justice, accusing the government of using excessive force against peaceful protesters and filing false cases against them to suppress dissent.
The 2013 Shapla Chattar crackdown remained one of the most controversial events in Bangladesh鈥檚 political history, with allegations of human rights violations and disputes over the actual number of casualties.
With the latest Hefazat case, Hasina, who fled to India in the face of a student-led mass uprising on August 5, along with her associates, is facing at least 20 cases filed on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. She faces a warrant of arrest in one of the cases.
The accused named in the Hefazat complaint, include Hasina, former home minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, senior AL leaders Sheikh Selim, Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Bahauddin Nasim, Md Abdur Razzaque, Hasan Mahmud and Mridul Kanti Das, former AL leader Abdul Latif Siddique, former minister and Workers Party of Bangladesh president聽 Rashed Khan Menon, deposed prime minister Hasina鈥檚 defence adviser Tarique聽 Ahmed Siddique, former inspector generals of police AKM Shohidul Hoque and Benazir Ahmed, former Detective Branch chief Harun-or-Rashid, former Dhaka Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Biplob Kumar Sarker, former Rapid Action Battalion鈥檚 intelligent wing commander Ziaul Ahsan, the then Border Guard Bangladesh director general, Abdul Aziz Khan, journalist and writer Shahriar Kabir, historian and former Dhaka University professor Muntasir Mamun, Bangladesh Chhatra League former present Badiuzzaman Sohag and the then BCL general secretary Nazmul Alam and the then Juba League president.聽聽聽
On May 5, 2013, widespread violence erupted at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel during a rally organised by Hefazat-e-Islam to press for its 13-point demand.
The rally culminated in a midnight 鈥榝lush-out operation鈥� by law enforcers to clear the area, resulting in clashes that extended beyond Dhaka to seven districts, including Narayanganj, Bagerhat, and Brahmanbaria.
The crackdown remained one of the most contentious events in Bangladesh鈥檚 recent history.
Human rights organisation Odhikar conducted a fact-finding mission and reported 61 deaths resulting from the operation in May 5-6.
The organisation鈥檚 report accused the security forces of committing a massacre, sparking significant domestic and international criticism.
In retaliation, the Awami League government targeted Odhikar, filing charges under section 57 of the Information and Communication Technology Act, 2006, against its secretary Adilur Rahman Khan, now an adviser to the interim government, and its director ASM Nasiruddin Elan. Both were arrested, jailed, and later acquitted on appeal by the High Court.
On August 20, 2024, another complaint was filed with the International Crimes Tribunal accusing Sheikh Hasina and 23 others of genocide and crimes against humanity during the Hefazat rally. The complaint was lodged by ICT prosecutor and former defense lawyer Gazi MH Tamim on behalf of Hefazat joint secretary general for education and law Mufti Harun Ijahar Chowdhury.
