ICT-1 Sets Dec 14 for Order on Charge Framing Against Sheikh Hasina, 12 Others

A three-member panel of the International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1), headed by Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mazumder, has set December 14 to deliver its order on the charge framing against 13 individuals, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The case was filed regarding allegations of enforced disappearances and torture that reportedly occurred at the Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC) during the tenure of the previous Awami League government.

The tribunal fixed the date today after both the prosecution and the defence teams concluded their respective hearings on the matter. Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam argued in favour of framing charges against the accused, while defence lawyers sought their discharge.

The prosecution has pressed five specific charges of enforced disappearance and torture against the 13 accused. Three of them—Sheikh Md Sarwar Hossain, Md Mahbubur Rahman Siddiqui, and Ahmed Tanvir Mazhar Siddiqui—were produced before the tribunal during today's proceedings.

Earlier on October 8, the tribunal took cognisance of charges against 30 people, including Sheikh Hasina, in two separate cases over enforced disappearances and torture allegedly carried out at the Taskforce for Interrogation (TFI) Cell and the JIC during the Awami League's rule.

In the JIC case, the accused include Sheikh Hasina; her former security and defence adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddique; and Md Akbar Hossain, Md Saiful Abedin, Md Saiful Alam, Md Tabrej Shams Chowdhury, Hamidul Haque, Mohammad Touhidul Islam, Sheikh Md Sarwar Hossain, Kabir Ahammed, Md Mahbubur Rahman Siddiqui, Ahmed Tanvir Mazhar Siddiqui, and Mokhchurul Haque.

The prosecution has also brought another five charges against 17 people, including Sheikh Hasina and Tarique Ahmed Siddique, over similar crimes allegedly committed at the TFI Cell.

The other accused in that case are Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Benazir Ahmed, M Khurshid Hossain, Barrister Md Harun Ur Rashid, Anwar Latif Khan, Md Jahangir Alam, Tofayel Mostafa Sarwar, KM Azad, Md Qamrul Hasan, Md Mahabub Alam, Abdullah Al Momen, Md Sarwar Bin Qashem, Md Khairul Islam, Md Moshiur Rahman Jewel, and Saiful Islam Suman.

With inputs from Agency