13 years on, Shapla Chattar case awaits trial
Thirteen years after the deadly crackdown on a Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel, the trial over the May 5, 2013 incident is yet to formally begin, even as investigators say they are close to completing their probe.
The incident, widely regarded as one of the most controversial episodes in Bangladesh’s recent political history, returned to public attention on Tuesday as the International Crimes Tribunal investigation agency said it had found evidence of deaths in Dhaka and other districts linked to the operation.
According to the latest findings cited by investigators, information on 58 victims has so far been identified in connection with the incident and related violence in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Chattogram and Cumilla.
Of them, 32 were identified in Dhaka, 20 in Narayanganj, five in Chattogram and one in Cumilla. Earlier, rights organisation Odhikar had reported 61 deaths, while Hefazat-e-Islam later published a preliminary list of 93 victims.
Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam has said the investigation into the Shapla Chattar case is nearly 90 percent complete, and the report is expected to be formally submitted on June 7.
On May 5, 2013, Hefazat-e-Islam held a large gathering at Shapla Chattar with its 13-point demand, including action against what it described as the defamation of Islam by bloggers and opposition to the then women’s policy. Late at night, law enforcement agencies carried out a joint operation to remove the demonstrators from the area.
The operation has long been at the centre of conflicting claims. Hefazat and rights groups alleged that many people were killed during the crackdown, while the then Awami League government rejected higher casualty figures and defended the operation as necessary to restore order.
The tribunal investigation has now brought the incident back into legal focus. Several former security and government officials are currently in prison in connection with the case, including former state minister for home affairs Shamsul Haq Tuku, former inspector general of police A K M Shahidul Haq, former military officer Ziaul Ahsan and former deputy inspector general of police Molla Nazrul Islam.
Arrest warrants were also issued on March 12 last year against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Ganajagaran Mancha spokesperson Imran H Sarkar, former IGP Hasan Mahmud Khandakar and former IGP Benazir Ahmed, according to the case details.
The Shapla Chattar incident also triggered a wave of cases against Hefazat leaders and activists.
Across the country, 83 cases were filed over violence in 2013 and 2021, naming 3,416 Hefazat leaders and accusing a total of 84,976 people. Charge sheets were submitted in only 25 cases, while final reports were given in two. Investigations in 56 cases have remained pending for years.
Hefazat leaders say the cases were used for years as a tool of political pressure. The organisation’s secretary general, Maulana Mamunul Haq, expressed frustration that there has been no visible progress in withdrawing the cases despite assurances from the interim government.
Police Headquarters officials, however, said investigation work in many of the cases has stalled because previous investigating officers were transferred after the political changeover, while some have themselves become accused in cases related to the July movement.
As the country marks the 13th anniversary of the Shapla Chattar incident, victims’ families and Hefazat leaders are demanding a full trial and accountability.
With the tribunal investigation nearing completion, attention now turns to whether the long-delayed case will finally move to court and establish responsibility for one of the most disputed security operations in Bangladesh’s recent history.
