Former DIG Jalil offers ‘cooperation’ in trial of Shapla Chattar case

Former deputy inspector general (DIG) of Police Abdul Jalil Mondal has offered to cooperate with the prosecution during the trial at the International Crimes Tribunal in a case over the killings during the Hifazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar in Dhaka’s Motijheel.

However, his legal counsel said that he has not submitted any written application to turn state’s witness.

On Wednesday, he also sought bail before a three-member bench of International Crimes Tribunal-1, led by Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mazumder, but the court turned down the plea.

Lawyer Mohammad Ali Haider represented Mondal in court.

Later, Haider told journalists: “No written application has been submitted to turn state’s witness. It was only a verbal submission for consideration of the bail petition that we are willing to assist the honourable tribunal in the trial process if necessary. We also want justice, and we are innocent.”

He added, “We told the tribunal that if permitted, we are also willing to testify if needed. When an accused becomes a witness, that is considered a state witness. This does not mean we have filed any written application. The court did not ask for any application, and we also did not submit one. The bail petition also does not mention becoming a witness or state witness.”

Referring to the accused’s physical condition and circumstances, the lawyer said: “He had no involvement in the incident and is completely innocent. He served until his retirement in 2017. After the incident, he never fled the country. He has been ill since 2020.”

When asked how the former police official wanted to assist the trial, Haider said: “Since he was then an additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), he wants to state whatever he knows about the incident from his position at that time. He also wants a fair investigation and trial of such an incident.”

Lawyer Haider said he had not personally spoken with his client. The principal lawyer in the case, Appellate Division Advocate Nurul Huda Ansari, had spoken with the client and instructed him accordingly. Since the chief lawyer was busy in another court, Haider conducted the hearing and made the verbal offer to assist the tribunal based on his client’s directives.

Nearly a decade ago, during the Hifazat rally at Shapla Chattar, Mondal served as additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). Later, he also served as commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) and additional director general (administration) of RAB. He was arrested last March from his residence in Dhanmondi by Detective Branch (DB) police.

Hifazat-e-Islam emerged in 2010 as a Qawmi madrasa-based organisation opposing women’s rights and education policy. Later, demanding punishment for bloggers, the organisation called a rally in Motijheel on May 5, 2013. The rally was marked by widespread violence and vandalism. That night, a joint operation removed them from Shapla Chattar.

According to a report by the human rights organisation Odhikar, 61 people were killed in the operation that night. However, the then police claimed no one died during the nighttime operation, and that 11 people were killed in clashes throughout the day.

After the fall of the Awami League government following the student-led mass uprising, a complaint regarding the Shapla Chattar incident was submitted to the International Crimes Tribunal on Aug 20, 2024. The complaint accused 19 people, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, writer Shahriar Kabir, Prof Muntassir Mamoon, and Imran H Sarker.

Earlier, in May last year, a murder case was filed over the Shapla Chattar incident against 12 people, including Mondal, where he was listed as accused number two. After an arrest warrant was issued in that case, he was arrested and sent to prison through the tribunal.