ICT chief prosecutor vows justice for July genocide case
Staff Reporter :
Mohammad Tajul Islam, chief prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), has strongly vowed that no individual involved in the deadly crackdown during last year’s July Uprising will evade justice.
Speaking to reporters outside the tribunal building on Monday afternoon, Tajul Islam issued a stern warning to those responsible for the violence.
“Those who believed they could commit mass killings in Bangladesh and escape accountability, or obstruct the judicial process through counter-revolutionary tactics, must understand this – justice will be served, and no perpetrator will be spared,” he declared emphatically.
Earlier in the day, Tajul Islam delivered his opening statement in the trial concerning the killing of six people-including student Anas-during the July-August 2024 protests at Chankharpool.
Highlighting the unwavering determination of the victims’ families, he said.
“The relatives of the brave youths who shed their blood to liberate Bangladesh for a second time remain steadfast.
Their testimonies are crucial to ensuring justice for more than 1,500 victims. The state is fully committed to fulfilling this solemn responsibility.”
Following his opening statement, Shahriar Khan Palash, father of the martyred Anas, took the witness stand as the first to testify in the case. Anas’s mother was also present to support the proceedings.
On July 14, the tribunal formally framed charges against eight accused persons, including four fugitives, and ordered the commencement of the trial.
Currently, four accused are in custody: former Shahbagh Police Station officer-in-charge (operations) Md Arshad Hossain, and constables Md Sujon Mia, Md Imaaz Hossain Imon, and Md Nasirul Islam.
The four fugitives, among them former Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Habibur Rahman, remain at large despite public summons.
According to case documents, on August 5, 2024, during a peaceful student demonstration in Chankharpool, police opened fire, killing Anas, Junayed, Yakub, Rakib, Ismamul, and Manik Mia.
Reaffirming his commitment to justice, Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam stressed,
“The judicial process will continue without interruption to ensure accountability for these grave crimes against humanity.”