Shyamal Dutta, Mozammel Babu, Farzana Rupa face tribunal over inciting violence during July Uprising

Journalists Shyamal Dutta, Mozammel Babu and Farzana Rupa were produced before the International Crimes Tribunal-2 on Monday in a case accusing them of inciting crimes against humanity through provocative statements made in the media and at press conferences during the 2024 July Uprising.

They were brought before the tribunal in the morning amid tight security.

The tribunal’s order came after a prosecution petition seeking their appearance.

Following a hearing on the petition, the tribunal on August 17 ordered the prison authorities to produce the three before the court on August 24 and issued production warrants.

According to the prosecution, the three journalists made provocative questions and comments about the student protests during a press conference held at Ganabhaban on July 14, 2024, following then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to China.

The prosecution alleged that following those comments, the then prime minister made derogatory remarks about the protesting students, which contributed to the movement escalating into extreme violence and incited attacks on the protesters.

It further alleged that during the protests, the accused appeared on various talk shows and in other media outlets, where they spread misleading information and provocative statements against the students and thereby played a role in efforts to suppress the protests.

Shyamol Dutta is the former general secretary of the National Press Club and editor of Bhorer Kagoj. Mozammel Babu is the former managing director and editor-in-chief of Ekattor Television. Farzana Rupa is the former chief reporter and presenter of the same television channel.

All three are already in jail in connection with murder cases related to the July Uprising in 2024, and crackdown on Hefazat-e-Islam supporters in Shapla Chattar and Narayanganj in 2013.