Staff Correspondent:

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 on Wednesday framed charges against 30 individuals, including Begum Rokeya University’s former vice-chancellor Md Hasibur Rashid, senior university officials and police officials, in a case filed over killing Abu Sayed in Rangpur during the last year’s July Uprising.

Abu Sayed, a student of the university, was killed in police firing in front of his university campus in Rangpur on July 16, last year.

The accused persons have been facing charges of murder, attempted murder, abetment, and complicity in crimes against humanity.

Apart from the university’s former VC, former Rangpur Metropolitan Police commissioner Md Moniruzzaman is among the accused.

The three-member tribunal, headed by Justice Nozrul Islam Chowdhury passed the indictment order after reading out the charges to the six accused who were produced before the court. Later, the tribunal set August 27 to begin the trial in the case.

Among the accused, 24 remain absconding.

Justice Nozrul said, “We did not find any grounds to discharge the accused. There is sufficient material to frame charges against them. Therefore, we framed charges accordingly.”

“We read out the charges only against those who are present before the court,” he added. Then the tribunal announced that the trial will proceed against the fugitives in their absentia.

The six accused who were present at the court are former university proctor Shariful Islam, assistant registrar Rafiul Hasan Rasel, university staff member Anwar Parvez, assistant sub-inspector Amir Hossain, constable Sujan Chandra Roy, and banned Chhatra League (BCL) leader Imran Chowdhury Akash.

On June 30, the tribunal took cognisance of the charges pressed by the prosecution.

Meanwhile, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Wednesday recorded testimony of the fourth witness in another case filed against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her two top aides over crimes against humanity.

A witness, Rina Murmu, 29, former student of the same university, gave her testimony and described how Abu Sayed was shot and killed on July 16 last year.

State-appointed defence counsel for the former premier and another accused former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal later cross-examined Rina Murmu after she gave her statement.

Hasina and Asaduzzaman are absconding and being tried in absentia while the third accused, former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun who pleaded guilty and become a state witness, was present on the dock.