ICT orders probe report by 12 April in Chattogram July killings case

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has ordered the investigation to be completed by 12 April in a crimes against humanity case over the killing of 11 people, including Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader Wasim, during the July Uprising in Chattogram.

The tribunal directed both the prosecution and the investigation agency to submit the probe report on that day.

The tribunal had earlier scheduled today (16 March) for submission of the investigation report. However, Tribunal-1 granted additional time after the prosecution said more time was needed to complete the investigation.

Former Chattogram-6 lawmaker ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury, an accused in the case, along with other arrested suspects, was produced before the tribunal.

Besides Fazle Karim, the other accused include former Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) commissioner Saiful Islam, and Jubo League leaders Azizur Rahman, Touhidul Islam, and Md Firoz.

Earlier, on 12 January, the prosecution sought eight weeks to submit the investigation report.

Meanwhile, a prosecutor in the case has been accused of demanding a Tk1 crore bribe from Fazle Karim’s family in exchange for bail. The prosecutor, Saimum Reza Talukder, has recently resigned from his position.

The allegation sparked controversy after audio recordings of a conversation in which the former prosecutor allegedly demanded the bribe surfaced publicly.

Following the allegation, Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam formed a five-member fact-finding committee on 10 March to investigate the matter.

Defence lawyers for the accused have meanwhile demanded a reinvestigation of the case after the alleged bribery conversation was leaked.