Shahriar Kabir produced before ICT over 2013 Shapla Chattar killings

Shahriar Kabir, president of the advisory council of the Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, was produced before International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) this morning (12 January) in connection with a crimes against humanity case over the 2013 operation at Shapla Chattar in the capital’s Motijheel area.

The tribunal, headed by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, is scheduled to hear the prosecution’s update on the progress of the investigation later in the day.

Police brought Kabir to the tribunal in a prison van under tight security shortly after 10am.

The case relates to the alleged mass killings during a Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar on 5 May 2013. Following a prosecution application on 30 November, the tribunal had earlier ordered that Shahriar Kabir be produced before the court. On that day, prosecutor Tarek Abdullah placed an update on the investigation and sought a production warrant against Kabir, which the tribunal granted. 

The court also fixed 12 January for the submission of the investigation progress report.

Besides Shahriar Kabir, four others are currently under arrest in the case: former state minister for home affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku; retired Major General Ziaul Ahsan; former inspector general of police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque; and former deputy inspector general (DIG) Molla Nazrul Islam.

According to the prosecution, a complaint over the alleged killings was filed with the ICT chief prosecutor on 5 May 2013 by Hefazat leader Azizul Haque on behalf of Hefazat leaders Junaid Al Habib and Maulana Mamunul Haque.

The complaint names a wide range of accused, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina; Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader; former ministers Rashed Khan Menon and Hasan Mahmud; former Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh; former MP Haji Selim; former prime minister’s adviser Salman F Rahman; former Narayanganj MP Shamim Osman; former adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddique; former IGPs AKM Shahidul Haque and Benazir Ahmed; former RAB additional director general Ziaul Ahmed; DMP Additional Commissioner (DB) Harun Or Rashid; former DMP deputy commissioner Biplab Kumar Sarker; Nirmul Committee President Shahriar Kabir and member Prof Muntasir Mamun; former ICT prosecutor Turina Afroz; Ganajagaran Mancha convener Imran H Sarker; former Ekattor TV CEO Mozammel Haque Babu; former Somoy TV managing director and CEO Ahmed Zobayer; ABnews24.com editor Subhas Singha Roy; former prime minister’s press secretary Naimul Islam Khan; former army chief Aziz Ahmed; and NSI official Md Manjur Ahmed.