ICT rejects review plea in Ctg July uprising killings case against 22, including ex-foreign minister Hasan Mahmud

The International Crimes Tribunal on Monday summarily dismissed a defence petition seeking a review of its order framing charges against 22 accused over the killings of six people during the July 2024 mass uprising in Chattogram.

International Crimes Tribunal-2, headed by its chairman, Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, passed the order.

Former foreign minister Hasan Mahmud, a member of the ousted government, is among the 22 accused in the case.

Prosecutors Faruk Ahmed, Zahirul Amin and Tarek Abdullah, among others, represented the prosecution. Senior lawyers Ehsanul Haque Samaji and Abdul Qayyum, along with state-appointed defence lawyers, appeared for the accused.

According to prosecution sources, Tribunal-2 framed formal charges against the 22 accused on June 30 and ordered the trial to begin.

Five arrested accused were produced before the tribunal: former lawmaker Fazle Karim, Jubo League leaders Azizur Rahman and Touhidul Islam, Md Firoz, and Debashish Pal Debu.

Hasan Mahmud and several other accused remain absconding. They include former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Naufel, former Chattogram City Corporation mayor AJM Nasir Uddin, Rezaul Karim, Mohiuddin Bachchu, Helal Akbar, Nurul Azim Rony, Shaibal Das Sumon, Abu Salek, Esbarul Haque, HM Mithu, Nur Mostafa Tinu, Zamir Uddin, Imran Hasan Mahmud, Zakaria Dastagir, Mohiuddin Farhad and Sumon De.

On April 7, the tribunal took cognisance of three formal charges. The first concerns the killings of Wasim Akram, Faisal Ahmed Shanto and Md Faruk, while the second relates to the killings of Tanvir Siddiqui, Saimon, also known as Mahim, and Hridoy Chandra.

The third charge concerns the shooting and torture of more than 100 students and members of the public, including Zahid Hasan, Abdul Kader, Asia Khatun, Sanjida Sultana and Abdullah, who were seriously injured.