Chankharpul killings: ICT begins charge hearing
Staff Reporter :
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has commenced hearings to frame charges against eight police officers accused of crimes against humanity for their alleged role in the killing of six unarmed protesters in the Chankharpul area of Dhaka during last year’s student-led uprising.
The proceedings, which began on Sunday , mark the first formal legal step taken in connection with the mass protests of July–August 2024 a movement that rocked the nation and brought widespread allegations of state brutality under the former Sheikh Hasina-led government.
Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tazul Islam presented the prosecution’s opening arguments, calling the day “historic” and urging the tribunal to formally indict the accused officers.
“This is the beginning of justice for those who lost their lives protesting peacefully for equality and accountability,” he told the court.
The ICT-1 bench, led by Justice Golam Mortuza Majumder, accepted a defence request for more time to prepare arguments for dismissal of charges.
The next hearing has been scheduled for Thursday, 3 July. The eight accused include several former senior officials of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). Of them, Inspector Arshad ,Constable Md Sujon ,Constable Imaaz Hossain Imon, and Constable Nasirul Islam are in the custody.
The absconding accused are former DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman ,former Joint Commissioner Sudip Kumar Chakraborty ,former ADC of Ramna Zone Shah Alam Md Akhtarul Islam and former Assistant Commissioner Md Imrul.
Following the accused officers’ failure to appear before the tribunal despite newspaper summons published on 3 June, state-appointed counsel Md Kutubuddin has been assigned to defend them in absentia.
The charges stem from the fatal police shooting on 5 August 2024, when six protesters Shahriar Khan Anas, Sheikh Mahdi Hasan Zunaid, Md Yakub, Md Rakib Hawlader, Md Imam Hossain, and Manik Mia were reportedly gunned down during a peaceful demonstration in Chankharpul.
The protest was part of a broader anti-discrimination and pro-democracy movement led by students.
Rights groups and protest leaders allege that the killings were part of a systematic crackdown orchestrated by the then-ruling Awami League government, in coordination with politically loyal law enforcement factions and party cadres, to silence dissent.
The ICT took cognisance of the case on 25 May 2025, after receiving a comprehensive 90-page investigation report from its own inquiry agency.
The report, which took over six months to compile, is based on testimonies from 79 witnesses ,19 video clips and 2 audio recordings ,6 death certificates ,11 newspaper articles, several books and investigative documents.
The evidence reportedly establishes a pattern of abuse and coordinated violence against peaceful protesters, including the use of lethal force without lawful justification.
As the tribunal moves forward, the Chankharpul killings case stands as a litmus test for Bangladesh’s commitment to transitional justice and accountability in the aftermath of the 2024 political upheaval.