ICT Orders Arrest of Dipu Moni, Babu and Rupa over Shapla Chattar Massacre

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Thursday ordered that former foreign minister Dr. Dipu Moni, along with journalists Mozammel Babu and Farzana Rupa, be shown arrested in a case concerning the 2013 Shapla Chattar massacre during a Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh rally. 

The three-member tribunal, chaired by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, passed the order and sent the accused to jail following their production in court. 

This development follows a May 7 petition by the prosecution, which led the tribunal to mandate their appearance for today's hearing.

During the proceedings, Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim alleged that during the May 5, 2013, crackdown at Shapla Chattar, Dipu Moni was serving as foreign minister and "promoted internationally that law enforcers had ‘eliminated a group of unruly people.’" 

Regarding the journalists, the prosecutor claimed that from the beginning, Mozammel Babu and Farzana Rupa "portrayed Hefazat’s grand rally as provocative in broadcast and later played a role in diverting the Shapla Chattar killings to a different direction and concealing information regarding the deaths." 

ICT Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam echoed these allegations, stating the media pair "attempted to deliberately divert the Shapla Chattar killings to a different direction and played a role in hiding information related to the deaths."

The tribunal has fixed June 7 for the submission of the formal investigation report, which officials say is approximately 90 percent complete. 

Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam noted that 58 individuals killed during the crackdown have been identified so far, adding that "involvement of then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other senior government officials have been found." 

These proceedings come 13 years after the "Dhaka Blockade" program, where thousands of religious scholars and students occupied Motijheel to press for a 13-point agenda. 

The late-night joint forces operation to disperse the crowd involved gunfire and sound grenades, leading to numerous casualties that have been the subject of long-standing dispute.

While the trial remained stalled for over a decade, the case resurfaced following the political transition on August 5, 2024. 

A complaint was subsequently filed by Hefazat leader Azizul Haque Islamabadi naming Sheikh Hasina and other high-ranking security and police officials. 

According to the prosecution, the death toll estimates vary significantly across different records; Hefazat published a list of 93 victims in 2025, human rights organization Odhikar reported 61 names in 2021, and the 2014 publication Shahidnama documented 41 deaths. 

Other individuals already shown arrested in connection with the massacre include former IGP Shahidul Hoque, dismissed Major General Ziaul Ahsan, and Shahriar Kabir.