Crimes against humanity during july uprising: ICT shows 20 including 10 ex-ministers arrested
The International Crimes Tribunal yesterday showed 10 former ministers and as many others arrested on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide during the July-August mass uprising.
They were already behind bars in other cases.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Talking to reporters after the proceedings, ICT Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam said the prosecution had filed three petitions with the tribunal, and it granted all of them.
In the first petition, the prosecution sought to show arrested 14 people on genocide charges. The ICT had issued arrest warrants for them earlier.
They are former ministers Anisul Huq, Abdur Razzaque, Lt Col (retd) Faruk Khan, Dipu Moni, Shahjahan Khan, Golam Dastagir Gazi, Kamal Ahmed Majumdar, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Rashed Khan Menon and Hasanul Haq Inu; former prime minister's advisers Salman F Rahman and Toufiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury; former Supreme Court judge Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik; and former home secretary Jahangir Alam.
The ICT ordered the law enforcers to produce them before the tribunal on November 18.
In another petition, the prosecution sought to show six other people, who are behind bars in other cases, arrested on genocide charges.
The six are former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, sacked army officer Maj Gen Ziaul Ahsan and police officers Abdullahil Kafi, Arafat Hossain, Abul Hasan and Mazaharul Islam.
The authorities were ordered to produce them before the tribunal on November 20.
Following the third petition, the tribunal issued arrest warrants for 17 former and current police personnel, including former Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Habibur Rahman, on similar charges of crimes against humanity.
Chief Prosecutor Tajul did not reveal the names of the other accused, saying they might go in hiding if their names were disclosed.
Upon arrest, they will have to be produced before the tribunal on November 20.
ICT Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumdar and members Justice Md Shafiul Alam Mahmud and Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury passed the orders after hearing the petitions.
The reconstituted tribunal, on the first day of its proceedings on October 17, issued arrest warrants for former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 45 others for their alleged role in crimes against humanity and genocide during the student-led mass uprising.
At least 863 people, as per the health ministry, were killed and thousands injured during the uprising.
More than 60 complaints of crimes against humanity and genocide have been filed against Hasina, her party leaders and officials of her administration with the ICT investigation agency and the prosecution team so far.
The Awami League government had formed the ICT in March 2010 originally to try the perpetrators of the crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War.
It later constituted ICT-2, and at least six Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP leaders were executed following the judgments of the two tribunals. The two tribunals were merged later. The interim government reconstituted it in mid-October after taking charge in August.
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