ICT indicts Hasina, 40 others over Shapla Chattar killings

More than 13 years after the deadly security operation against Hefazat-e-Islam activists at Dhaka’s Shapla Chattar, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Monday formally launched trial proceedings by accepting charges against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 40 others over alleged crimes against humanity linked to the 2013 crackdown.

The tribunal accepted the prosecution’s formal charge sheet, ordered the production of 10 accused already in custody on 16 August and issued arrest warrants for the remaining 31 fugitives, including Hasina. 

The charges relate to the deaths of 52 people during the Shapla Chattar operation in Dhaka on 5 May 2013 and a subsequent incident in Siddhirganj, Narayanganj, on 6 May.

The three-member ICT-2 bench, headed by Justice Nozrul Islam Chowdhury, took cognisance of the charges against Hasina, who has already been  sentenced to death in another crimes against humanity case over July uprising.

The latest case comes a day after the ICT prosecution submitted another charge sheet against Hasina and 10 others over the 2018 killing of former Teknaf municipality councillor Ekramul Haque in an alleged “crossfire”.

The charge sheet names several senior figures from the former Awami League government, military and law enforcement agencies, including former Army chief General Aziz Ahmed and four former inspectors general of police (IGPs) -- Benazir Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud Khandaker, AKM Shahidul Hoque and Mohammad Javed Patwary.

Ten accused are currently in custody. They include former education minister Dr Dipu Moni, former information minister Hasanul Haq Inu, former state minister for home affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku, dismissed army officer Ziaul Ahsan, former deputy inspectors general of police Molla Nazrul Islam and Abdul Jalil Mondal, former Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee president Shahriar Kabir, former Ekattor TV chief executive Mozammel Babu, the channel’s former chief reporter Farzana Rupa and Shahidul Hoque.

Other accused include former ministers Mahiuddin Khan Alamgir, Hasan Mahmud, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Abdur Razzaque, Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya; former state minister Advocate Mrinal Kanti Das; Awami League leaders Mahbubul Alam Hanif and AFM Bahauddin Nasim; Gonojagoron Mancha leader Imran H Sarker; former Jubo League chairman Omar Faruk Chowdhury; and Jubo League leader Salahuddin Mahmud SM Zahid.

The charge sheet also names several former senior officials of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police and intelligence agencies, including former RAB director general Md Mokhlesur Rahman, former RAB additional director general (operations) Lt Gen Md Mujibur Rahman, former DMP detective chief Sheikh Muhammad Maruf Hasan, former Special Branch officials Mahbub Hossain and Md Monirul Islam, additional IGP Md Anwar Hossain, DIG Md Ashraful Zaman, additional DIG SM Mehedi Hasan, former DIGs Mohammad Harun-or-Rashid, Biplob Kumar Sarker and Syed Nurul Islam, police superintendent Md Asaduzzaman, retired assistant superintendent SM Shibli Noman and police inspector BM Forman Ali.

According to the ICT investigation report, 61 people were killed during the crackdown, of whom 58 have so far been identified. However, the formal charges concern 52 deaths -- 32 at Shapla Chattar and 20 in Siddhirganj.

The investigation report broadly matches findings published by human rights organisation Odhikar, which documented at least 61 deaths. Following publication of that report, Odhikar’s Adilur Rahman Khan, now an adviser to the interim government, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment by a cyber tribunal.

ICT Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam told the tribunal that the prosecution had found direct involvement of all 41 accused.

“Both incidents constituted acts of mass killing. Such a barbaric killing is not known to have ever happened in the history of the country,” he said.

He alleged that members of the police, RAB, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), the Awami League and its affiliated organisations jointly carried out the operation with the intention of destroying Hefazat-e-Islam.

“The incident at Shapla Chattar was a planned mass killing by the then Awami League government. Even at a meeting of ministers and the administration, there was a decision to use grenades and deadly weapons. Children were also indiscriminately shot and killed,” Aminul told the court.

He further alleged that no proper investigation had been conducted into the incident despite repeated demands by Hefazat-e-Islam. 

He also claimed that then information minister Hasanul Haq Inu had issued written instructions to stop broadcasts by two television channels because they had aired footage of the operation.

Hefazat-e-Islam staged a rally at Shapla Chattar on 5 May 2013 and later announced that its supporters would remain there overnight. Security forces launched a late-night operation to disperse the gathering, during which electricity in the area was reportedly switched off.

Following the political changeover after 5 August 2024, Hefazat-e-Islam filed a complaint with the ICT Chief Prosecutor’s Office on 27 November 2024, paving the way for a fresh investigation.

Several Hefazat leaders attended Monday’s hearing. Hefazat leader Azizul Haque Islamabadi welcomed the start of proceedings.

“We are happy that the trial has finally begun after 13 years. It is an achievement of the 2024 mass uprising,” he said.

The prosecution maintains that the case concerns crimes against humanity involving a planned operation, excessive use of lethal force and mass atrocities against demonstrators, marking the first formal judicial examination of one of the country’s most controversial incidents in recent history.