Dhaka: The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) today set a deadline of April 28 for the submission of a probe report on allegations of crimes against humanity and mass killings involving former police chief (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, former National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC) Director General Major General (Retd) Ziaul Ahsan, and six other officials. A three-member bench of the tribunal, led by its chairman, Justice Mohammad Golam Mortuza Majumdar, issued the order after reviewing the prosecution’s request for additional investigation time.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the hearing commenced at 11:26 am with Ziaul Ahsan and the seven other accused present in the court. Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam represented the state, detailing the case against the accused. The other individuals facing charges include former additional superintendent of police (ASP) Abdullahel Kafi, former deputy commissioner (DC) Mirpur Zone Md Jasim Uddin Mollah, former additional superintendent of police (ASP) Md Shahidur Islam, former officer-in-charge of Jatrabari Police Station Abul Hasan, former officer-in-charge of Gulshan Police Station Mazharul Islam, and former inspector of detective branch (DB) of police Arafat Hossain.
Chief Prosecutor Md. Tajul Islam informed the court about the seizure of various certificates, documents, and evidence, including bullets recovered from victims’ bodies, and reports from both government and private hospitals. Additionally, the prosecution has obtained several videos currently undergoing forensic verification, which will be incorporated into the investigation report following necessary checks. The chief prosecutor emphasized the need for a comprehensive investigation into the case.
Concerning the interrogation of former IGP Mamun, Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam stated that armoured personnel carriers, helicopters, and lethal weapons were utilized during the events in question. While Mamun had previously provided a statement, further details are required. Specific queries involve the authorization of helicopter operations, the identities of those on board, the number of flights conducted, and the types of weapons transported. As the former police chief, Mamun is expected to have information on these matters. Permission for a one-day interrogation session on February 23 has been granted by the tribunal.
The allegations are related to mass killings and crimes against humanity committed between July 1 and August 5 of the previous year, in efforts to suppress the 2024 student-people mass uprising. Approximately 125 complaints have been submitted to the prosecution office, with additional reports filed with the International Crimes Tribunal’s investigation agency.