The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has accepted the formal charges in a case over the massacre in Dhaka’s Chankharpul occurred during the July mass uprising.
The three-member tribunal led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza took into cognizance of the indictments on Sunday, May 25, after a hearing.
Earlier today, the prosecution filed the charges with the tribunal.
Confirming the development, Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim said the submission of formal charges marks a significant step forward in the tribunal's proceedings. He noted that this is the first case related to the July uprising to reach the stage of formal charge submission.
This marks the first case related to the July–August uprising in which the tribunal's investigation agency has completed and submitted a final report on charges including murder, mass killing, and other crimes against humanity.
According to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office, it took the investigation agency six months and 13 days to complete the probe. The final report is 90 pages long and includes statements from 79 witnesses. As evidence, it contains 19 videos, two audio recordings, 11 newspaper reports, and six death certificates.
Additionally, a fact-finding report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the July massacre has been annexed to the investigation report.
According to the summary of the report, during the uprising, the accused used lethal force against unarmed and peaceful protesters in the Chankharpul area. As a result, six individuals – Shahriar Khan Anas, Sheikh Mahdi Hasan Zunaid, Md Yakub, Md Rakib Howlader, Md Ismamul Haque, and Manik Mia – were shot dead.
The report concludes that the actions of the accused—including the absconding former DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman—constitute crimes against humanity, based on preliminary findings.
FH/MSU