Staff Correspondent:

The investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) will submit their report on the case filed against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina on allegations of crime against humanity during the July uprising, including charges of committing mass killings, on Monday.

Tribunal chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam disclosed this in a Facebook post.

As per the rule, the investigating agency first submits the report to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office. The chief prosecutor then reviews the report and submits it to the tribunal as formal charges.

Chief prosecutor Tajul Islam, wrote in his Facebook, “The investigation agency of the International Crimes tribunal is expected to submit their report on the July massacre next Monday. Following that, the trial against Sheikh Hasina will begin officially with the submission of formal charges against her.”

The ICT was restructured following the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August in face of the mass uprising of students and people

Following the restructure, the first case on charges of crimes against humanity was filed against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Later, former inspector general of police (IGP) Abdullah-Al-Mamun was also made accused in the case.

The deadline to submit the investigation report in the case has been extended three times. Lately, on 20 April, the prosecution appealed for an extension of the deadline. The tribunal accepted the plea by extending the deadline for report submission by two months and ordered the prosecution to submit the report by 24 June. However, the investigation agency has prepared the final report more than a month before the deadline, the ICT chief prosecutor wrote on Facebook.

ICT prosecutor Gazi Monawar Hussain Tamim shared the Facebook post in the WhatsApp groups of the journalists covering the tribunal related news.

“The final investigation report of the case has been completed before the submission deadline. The investigation agency has confirmed the matter.”

Two more cases have been filed with the tribunal against Sheikh Hasina. She has been made accused in another case filed of targeted killings and enforced disappearances during the 15-year-rule of the Awami League. The third case against Sheikh Hasina was lodged over the massacre at a Hefajat-e-Islam rally in the city’s Shapla Chatwar in Motijheel back in 2013.

Chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam has repeatedly mentioned that Sheikh Hasina was ‘superior commander’ of the crimes against humanity committed from 1 July to 5 August.

‘FORMAL CHARGES IN THIS WEEK TOO’

Some six people were shot dead in the capital’s Chankharpul on 5 August, before Sheikh Hasina fled the country. The tribunal investigating agency has already finalised the report of the case filed with the ICT over the incident, accusing former DMP (Dhaka Metropolitan Police) commissioner Habibur Rahman and seven others. The report was submitted to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office on 21 April. This was the first final report of the cases filed on charges of crimes against humanity during the July uprising.

The prosecution has sought four weeks to submit the investigation report as formal charges.  The formal charges are scheduled to be submitted to the tribunal by 25 May. However, chief prosecutor Tajul Islam said formal charges could be submitted before that.

In this regard, Tajul Islam wrote in his Facebook post, “Already the investigation report against the senior police officials involved in the Chankharpul incident has been submitted. The formal charges over the killings will be submitted this week too. With this, the trial of the July mass killing will commence officially.”