United News of Bangladesh

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 on Thursday sentenced Awami League(now activities banned) Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif to death in a case over crimes against humanity for killing six people in Kushtia during the July Uprising in 2024. The tribunal also sentenced Kushtia district Awami League President and former Chairman of Kushtia Zila Parishad Sadar Uddin Khan, district Awami League General Secretary Azgar Ali and Kushtia municipality Awami League General Secretary Ataur Rahman to imprisonment until death in the case. The three-member judicial panel of the tribunal headed by Justice Nozrul Islam Chowdhury delivered the verdict. All the convicts were tried in absentia.   Hanif was found guilty on counts 1-6 under charge No. 1 and sentenced to death. He was also sentenced to life imprisonment under charges No. 2 and 3. Sadar Uddin Khan, Asgar Ali and Ataur Rahman were sentenced to imprisonment until death for counts 1-6 under charge No. 1 and life imprisonment under charges No. 2 and 3. All four accused were also sentenced to life imprisonment after charges No. 4 and 5 were considered together. The tribunal ordered the confiscation of half of the immovable property of each convicted accused. It directed that the proceeds from the sale of the confiscated properties be distributed as compensation to those killed and injured during the July 2024 uprising through the July Foundation or another legally recognised organisation. According to the prosecution, the investigation into the case began on March 25 last year, and the investigation agency submitted its report to the Chief Prosecutor's Office on September 11. The prosecution subsequently submitted the formal charges to the tribunal on October 6. According to the charges, Hanif supported provocative statements made by Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on July 15, 17 and 30 in 2024 by being present alongside him. He was also accused of branding protesters as Jamaat activists, terrorists and communal elements at a discussion meeting at the Jatiya Press Club on July 29, 2024, and of directing, instigating, inciting and aiding killings and torture. According to the prosecution, on Hanif's instructions, Sadar Uddin Khan, Asgar Ali, Ataur Rahman and other Awami League leaders held a meeting at Kushtia district Awami League office on July 27, 2024. At the meeting, they allegedly portrayed the peaceful movement of unarmed students and members of the public as terrorist activities and instructed Awami League activists to use maximum force to suppress the movement in Kushtia city. The prosecution alleged that, acting on the instructions of the four accused, activists of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations opened fire on students and members of the public at different locations in Kushtia city on August 5, 2024, killing six people. The victims were s Ashraful Islam, Suroj Ali, Abdullah Al Mustakin, Md Usama, Babul Farazi and Yusuf Sheikh. Following hearings from both sides, the tribunal ordered the framing of formal charges in the case on November 2. The trial formally began on December 8 last year with the prosecution's opening statement, and the recording of witness testimony started the same day. The tribunal concluded the recording of testimony on April 23 this year after hearing 19 witnesses. Closing arguments in the case were completed on June 10, when the tribunal initially kept it awaiting a verdict. The prosecution later presented additional witnesses and documents, followed by further arguments from both sides. The arguments concluded on October 7, after which the tribunal reserved the verdict. On Tuesday, Tribunal-2 ordered that the verdict be delivered on Thursday.  

Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif on Tuesday said that any evil intention to create anarchy centering the golden jubilee celebration will be resisted strictly. He was speaking to journalists at the Pabna Circuit House in the morning over recent mayhem of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh. BNP-Jamaat tried to trigger anarchy in 2013 by misleading Madrasa students but the government and people resisted them together, he said. Hanif accused the BNP-Jamaat alliance and Hefazat of using religion for personal gains. “Stop using orphan children for personal interest, otherwise the government will deal with you sternly,” he said. Hefazat enforced a daylong strike on Sunday that ended with reports of sporadic clashes across the country. On Friday, four people were killed and at least 15 others were injured in a clash between Hefazat supporters and police at Hathazari in Chattogram. Police opened fire after a group of protestors attacked the Hathazari thana compound, Hathazari land office and set fire to a vehicle. On the same day, at least 50 people, including several journalists, were injured in a clash between Muslim devotees and police in Baitul Mukarram National Mosque area. Clashes erupted when police barred people from bringing out a procession after Jum’a prayers protesting against the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh.

The ruling Awami League (AL) will go to the northern parts of the country for distributing warm clothes among the cold-affected people, party’s General Secretary Obaidul Quader said.