The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-2 on Tuesday ordered the commencement of trial against 22 accused, including former Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and former Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, after framing charges in a case over the killings of six people, including Chhatra Dal leader Wasim, during the July Uprising in Chattogram.
The order was passed by a two-member judicial panel of ICT-2 led by Justice Md Manjurul Basid.
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Earlier, defence counsel Mizanur Rahman argued for the third consecutive day, contending that the prosecution had failed to establish sufficient grounds for framing charges against any of the accused. He also pointed to what he described as several flaws in the investigation.
Meanwhile, lawyer Abdul Kaiyum represented former lawmaker Fazle Karim Chowdhury. He had concluded his arguments seeking his client's discharge on June 28.
Previously, on June 24, state-appointed defence lawyers Md Amir Hossain, Abul Hasan, Ishrat Jahan and Mohammad Enam represented the absconding accused.
On June 22, the prosecution submitted that there were prima facie grounds to proceed against all 22 accused and sought formal framing of charges. After hearing both sides, the tribunal fixed June 30 for its order.
During Tuesday's proceedings, prosecutors Mizanul Islam, Abdus Sobhan Torofdar, Faruk Ahmad, Zahirul Amin and others appeared for the prosecution.
The five arrestees in the case are former MP Fazle Karim Chowdhury, Jubo League leader Azizur Rahman, Touhidul Islam, Md Firoz and Debashish Pal Debu. However, only the four accused other than Fazle Karim were produced before the tribunal on Monday.
Besides Dr Hasan Mahmud, the absconding accused include former Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, former Chattogram City Corporation mayors A J M Nasir Uddin and Rezaul Karim, Mohiuddin Bacchu, Helal Akbar, Nurul Azim Rony, Shaibal Das Sumon, Abu Saleque, Esbarul Haque, H M Mithu, Noor Mostafa Tinu, Zamir Uddin, Imran Hasan Mahmud, Zakaria Dastagir, Mohiuddin Farhad and Sumon Dey.
Earlier, on April 7, ICT-2 took cognisance of formal charges against the 22 accused under three counts after the prosecution submitted the formal charge sheet on April 5.
According to the prosecution, the first charge relates to the killings of Wasim Akram, Faisal Ahmed Shanto and Md Faruk. The second charge concerns the killings of Tanvir Siddiqui, Saimon alias Mahim and Hriday Chandra.
Furthermore, the third charge accuses the defendants of causing serious injuries to more than 100 people, including Zahid Hasan, Abdul Kader, Asia Khatun, Sanjida Sultana and Abdullah, during the violence surrounding the July mass uprising in Chattogram.