The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh has scheduled a hearing for July 1 to decide on framing charges against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun in a case related to crimes against humanity, including mass killings carried out across Bangladesh during July and August of the previous year.
The three-member tribunal, headed by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mojumder, passed the order on Tuesday.
During the hearing, former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun was produced before the tribunal. However, Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal remain absconding and could not be presented in court.
The prosecution informed the tribunal that public notices regarding the two absconding accused were published in two national dailies.
The tribunal noted that despite arrest warrants, there are reasonable grounds to believe the accused are intentionally evading arrest.
The tribunal had earlier ordered the accused to surrender by June 24; failure to do so would result in trial proceedings in absentia.
The tribunal stated that legal counsel would be appointed for the absconding accused to ensure the continuation of the trial. Subsequently, July 1 was set as the next hearing date to consider the formation of charges.
According to the public notices published on June 24, the tribunal formally accepted the charges submitted by the Chief Prosecutor`s Office and confirmed that the trial would proceed if the accused did not voluntarily appear.
In a separate case, the tribunal fixed July 2 for the submission of formal charges in the Ashulia incident, where six people were allegedly shot dead and later burned.
Additionally, the tribunal set August 24 for the submission of the investigation report in a forced disappearance case against Ziaul Ahsan, former Director General of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Center (NTMC).
While local and regional media are closely following the development, no immediate references from international media outlets like BBC, Al Jazeera, or The Guardian were found as of now.
However, global human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have previously expressed concerns about the political use of war crimes tribunals in Bangladesh and have urged for due process and impartiality in such proceedings.
The upcoming hearings are expected to draw both national and international attention given the high-profile status of the accused and the sensitive nature of the allegations.
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