The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Thursday took cognisance of charges against seven individuals linked to the Awami League, including former minister Amir Hossain Amu, in a case filed over crimes against humanity committed during the July 2024 uprising.
The three-member bench of the ICT-2, led by Justice Nozrul Islam Chowdhury, also ordered that six of the accused, who were in jail, be produced before it on November 22 in connection with the case.
It issued a warrant for the arrest of Awami League Organising Secretary Mirza Azam, who had been absconding.
The other accused in the cases were former Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, former Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Lt Col (retd) Faruk Khan, former Agricultural Minister Abdur Razzaque, former minister Dr Dipu Moni and former Energy Advisor to the ousted Prime Minister Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury.
Briefing reporters, Prosecutor Gazi Tamim said former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had taken state-level and political decisions to suppress the July mass uprising.
Plans had been devised to use lethal weapons against protesters, impose a curfew, shut down the internet and control the media, he said.
Records of conversations, documents, supporting evidence and witness statements had been submitted to the tribunal in support of these allegations, Tamim added.
He said various pieces of evidence, including a United Nations report, had been submitted to support allegations that state forces and intelligence agencies had been used to carry out killings to suppress the movement.
The prosecutor also claimed that the UN report had contained an alleged instruction by Sheikh Hasina to "kill them and hide the bodies."
Regarding the individual roles of the accused, he said the prosecution had presented information that Tk 5 crore in cash had been found in sacks at the residence of Amu after August 5, 2024.
Faruk Khan attended a security committee meeting on August 4, where a decision had allegedly been taken to shoot and kill protesters at the entry points to Dhaka on August 5, according to the prosecution.
Dipu Moni, meanwhile, had participated in a meeting on imposing the curfew and had been involved in planning to suppress the movement, Tamim alleged.
He also claimed that Shajahan Khan, through conversations with Sheikh Hasina, had issued instructions to deploy police, Awami League leaders and activists, and workers against the protesters.
The case also includes allegations of arson at various establishments during the movement.
The prosecutor said recordings of conversations involving Sheikh Hasina, Obaidul Quader and Hasan Mahmud had been submitted to the tribunal in this regard.
Forensic reports verifying the authenticity of the recordings, along with video reports verified by experts from the BBC, Al Jazeera and the United Nations, had also been submitted, he added.
Tamim said the seven accused had been charged with incitement, assistance, conspiracy and contribution to the commission of crimes. They also face allegations of superior command responsibility.
The prosecution alleged that the accused, from their respective positions, played roles in making and implementing political decisions to suppress the movement.
The prosecutor further said the investigation into the abduction and torture of six coordinators of the July uprising while in the custody of the Detective Branch (DB) was nearing completion.
Earlier, on November 2, the prosecution submitted formal charges against the seven leaders.