Charge hearings against Hasina, others deferred to Sunday

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has set 27 September for hearings on the framing of charges in two crimes against humanity cases against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and several former senior officials over alleged extrajudicial killings during the Awami League government.

One case concerns the deaths of nine youths in an alleged staged anti-militancy operation at Kalyanpur in the capital in 2016, while the other relates to the killing of former Teknaf municipal councillor Ekramul Haque in what authorities at the time described as a “gunfight” in 2018.

The hearings were rescheduled after the two tribunals deferred proceedings originally scheduled for Thursday.

In the Kalyanpur case, ICT-1 fixed 27 September for a hearing on the framing of formal charges against eight accused, including Hasina. 

According to the prosecution, nine youths were detained and shot dead during “Operation Storm-26” involving members of the police’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit at a house known as Jahajbari in Kalyanpur in July 2016. They were subsequently portrayed as militants killed during an anti-militancy operation, the prosecution alleges.

The tribunal took cognisance of the charges against eight people on 29 January. Six remain absconding.

Besides Hasina, the accused include former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and several former senior police officials. Former IGP AKM Shahidul Haque and former DMP commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia are in custody.

Meanwhile, ICT-2 fixed the same date for a hearing on the framing of formal charges against 11 people, including Hasina, over Ekramul’s killing.

According to the prosecution, Ekramul was abducted in Teknaf on 26 May 2018 and taken to the Marine Drive area at Noakhaliapara, where he was killed in what authorities described at the time as a “gunfight” during an anti-narcotics operation.

The tribunal took cognisance of the charges against the 11 accused on 26 July. The allegations include illegal detention, abduction, staging a gunfight, killing, abetment, assistance and issuing orders for the killing.

Four accused, including former Awami League MP Abdur Rahman Bodi, are in custody. The seven others who remain absconding include Hasina, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader and former IGP Benazir Ahmed.

Charge hearing in Hossain murder case deferred to 8 Oct

In a separate case, a Dhaka court on Thursday deferred until 8 October the hearing on framing charges against Hasina and 33 others over the killing of Md Hossain during the July 2024 mass uprising.

Judge Robiul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge Court 4 fixed the new date following a prosecution petition seeking more time as arrested accused Junaid Ahmed Palak could not be produced before the court as he was facing another case at the ICT.

According to the case documents, Hossain was shot in Mohammadpur on 19 July 2024 while returning home after leaving his truck in Gabtoli.

His mother, Rina Begum, filed the case with Mohammadpur Police Station on 31 August 2024. Police submitted a charge sheet against 34 accused on 23 November 2025.

Of the accused, 10 are in jail, four are on bail and 20 remain absconding.