Staff Reporter :
The International Crimes Tribunal-2 has set 21 August for delivering its order on framing charges in a crimes against humanity case over the burning of corpses in Ashulia during the July-August student-public uprising.
The date was fixed on Wednesday by Tribunal Chairman Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, following the conclusion of arguments from both prosecution and defence. The bench also includes Justice Md Manjurul Bashid and Justice Nur Mohammad Shahriar Kabir.
State-appointed defence counsels Amir Hossain and Patwari M Mahadi Hasan represented the accused. The prosecution completed its hearing on 7 August, after which the defence sought an extension, granted until 13 August for final submissions.
Sixteen individuals have been charged in the case, eight of whom are in custody and were produced before the tribunal on Wednesday. Those detained include former Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Savar Circle Md Shahidul Islam, former Additional ASP of Dhaka District Abdullahil Kafi, former Dhaka District Detective Branch (North) Inspector Md Arafat Hossain, former Ashulia Police Station Sub-Inspector Abdul Malek, former police officers Arafat Uddin, Kamrul Hasan, Sheikh Abzalul Haque, and former constable Mukul Chokdar.
According to Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam, on 5 August last year, police allegedly shot dead six young men in Ashulia, placed their bodies in a police van, and set them ablaze. In one of the most disturbing allegations, a victim reportedly had petrol poured over him while still alive before being set on fire.
The case was formally filed with the International Crimes Tribunal on 11 September last year under charges of crimes against humanity.
