Ex-addl SP Shahidul sent to jail over genocide charges
NN Online:
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Thursday sent former additional superintendent of police (Savar circle) Shahidul Islam to the jail in a case filed over genocide and crimes against humanity to suppress the anti-discrimination student movement.
The three-judge ICT panel led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder passed the order responding to a plea for keeping him behind bar in the genocide case.
ICT Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam filed the appeal with the tribunal providing information of the arrest of the former police officer, reports BSS.
Shahidul, who was arrested earlier, was brought to the tribunal amid stringent security measures at 10am on Thursday.
Prosecutor Abdulla Al Noman told BSS that Shahidul was arrested as he was an accused in a case regarding the July-August genocide.
The tribunal earlier on October 27 issued arrest warrants against 17 former police officers including former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner Habibur Rahman and asked the concerned authorities to produce them before the tribunal after their arrest by November 20 next.
Of the accused, a former deputy commissioner (DC) of Mirpur Division was produced to the tribunal after his arrest from Rangpur district on Wednesday.
Shahidul, who is the second detained former police officer, is going to face the charges of genocide and crimes against humanity at the tribunal.
The chief prosecutor vowed exposing to justice those involved in the July-August genocide, as he said no matter how much powerful they are.
But he assured that no innocent will be harassed, saying, “We are committed to establishing justice as the state has the responsibilities of the martyrs in the July-August movement.”
The prosecution sources said 75 complaints of genocide and crimes against humanity carried out across the country from July 5 to August 5 this year have so far been submitted to the tribunal.
The ICT has formally started the trial proceedings with issuing a warrant of arrest against 46 individuals including Sheikh Hasina on October 17.
Former prime minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina fled the country on August 5 last in the face of the July-August mass uprising ending her party’s sixteen years rule.
The AL government, its loyal administration and a part of the law enforcement agencies have committed the genocide and crimes against humanity.
The ICT has asked to produce 10 former ministers of the AL government, two former advisers, one retired justice and former secretary before it on November 18 next after showing them arrested in the cases filing over genocide and crimes against humanity.