NN Online:
The Investigation Agency of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has submitted its first probe report under the interim government’s initiative to prosecute the Awami League’s suppression of dissent as “genocide.”
The report accuses former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner Habibur Rahman and seven other policemen of crimes against humanity over the killing of six individuals in Chankharpool during the Anti-Discrimination Movement.
The investigation report was handed over to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office on Sunday.
Besides Habibur Rahman, the accused include former DMP joint commissioner Sudip Kumar Chakraborty, former additional deputy commissioner Shah Alam Md Akhtarul Islam, assistant commissioner Md Imrul, former Shahbagh police inspector Arshad Hossain, and constables Sujan, Imaz Hossain, and Nasirul Islam. Of the eight, four are reportedly absconding.
At a press briefing on Monday, ICT Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam stated that the report was submitted within 195 days of launching the investigation. He said the accused acted on instructions from Habibur Rahman and were directly involved in the fatal shooting of six people.
“The process of filing formal charges against the accused will begin from today,” Tajul said.
He also noted that while former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal were not named as suspects in this case, the charge sheet outlines their alleged roles as planners and instruction providers.
“Their command responsibility is under separate investigation,” he added. “But the report details how law enforcement agencies, along with Awami League and 14-party alliance leaders, executed field-level operations under Sheikh Hasina’s direct orders.”
Tajul further alleged that additional crimes against humanity were committed during the July Uprising in Chankharpool, with Awami League activists allegedly involved. Separate investigations into those incidents are ongoing, he said.
“This report focuses solely on the killing of six individuals in Chankharpool, which is why it was submitted first,” he explained.
The investigation report, spanning 90 pages, includes statements from 79 witnesses, 19 video clips, 11 newspaper reports, two audio calls, and 11 supplementary documents—including reports from the United Nations and Human Rights Watch. Death certificates of the six victims are also included.
One of the most damning pieces of evidence, according to Tajul, is an audio recording of Habibur Rahman ordering the use of lethal force. “He instructed the police via wireless to open fire using Chinese rifles to suppress the student-led movement,” Tajul said.
He also revealed that a separate report on another incident, where six bodies were burned in Ashulia, Savar, is nearing completion and expected within the week. Once submitted, both cases could be tried simultaneously, he noted.
The tribunal will also issue public notices for the absconding accused. “If they fail to appear, the trial will proceed in their absence with state-appointed legal representation,” Tajul confirmed.
The killings in Chankharpool, including the death of student Shaheed Anas, occurred on August 5—the day the Hasina-led government was overthrown amid massive student protests. The ICT is prioritizing investigation into the most brutal incidents committed during the uprising.
