The prosecution has filed a formal charge with the International Crimes Tribunal against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former army chief General Aziz Ahmed, including 41 others, in a case of crimes against humanity over the massacre that took place around a Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Square in Motijheel, the capital, on May 5, 2013.
Prosecutor Zahirul Amin submitted the charge sheet to the Registrar of the International Crimes Tribunal at around 10:15 am on Monday (July 27). He was accompanied by Prosecutor Marjina Raihan.
A three-member judicial panel led by International Crimes Tribunal-1 Chairman Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Majumder is scheduled to hear the charges today.
Nine accused are currently under arrest in the case. They are former minister Dr. Dipu Moni, former state minister for home Shamsul Haque Tuku, Major General (retd) Ziaul Ahsan, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque, former DIG Mollah Nazrul Islam, Ekattorer Ghatak-Dalal Nirmul Committee Advisory Council President Shahriar Kabir, former DIG Abdul Jalil Mondal, journalists Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Babu.
On the other hand, the fugitive accused include Sheikh Hasina, former army chief General Aziz Ahmed, former IGP Benazir Ahmed and many others. The prosecution has also applied for an arrest warrant against them.
Earlier, the Chief Prosecutor had said that the investigation had found evidence that at least 58 people were killed in the Shapla Chattar incident. According to the allegations, on May 5, 2013, after a day-long rally, law enforcement forces raided Hefazat-e-Islam activists and supporters who were stationed at Shapla Chattar at night.
After the political changes of August 5 last year, Hefazat-e-Islam requested an investigation into the incident. Based on that allegation, a formal charge sheet was filed after the investigation.