ICT accepts charges, issues warrant against ex-DMP chief Habibur Rahman

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has issued an arrest warrant against former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner Habibur Rahman in a case of crimes against humanity related to the killing of six people in Dhaka’s Chankharpul during the July Uprising.

On Sunday, a three-member bench of the tribunal, headed by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumdar, issued the order after accepting the charges submitted by the prosecution against Habibur and seven other policemen.

This is the first time the ICT has taken cognisance of a case since the interim government reconstituted it to prosecute the Awami League government's violent crackdown on student-led protests as crimes against humanity, reports bdnews24.com.

If the tribunal proceeds to frame charges, it will mark the beginning of the first trial related to the July Uprising.

The tribunal’s Investigation Agency submitted its report on the case to the prosecution on Apr 11. After reviewing the documents, ICT Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam submitted the charges on Sunday. A hearing on the matter was subsequently held.

The other accused are former DMP joint commissioner Sudip Kumar Chakraborty, former additional deputy commissioner Shah Alam Md Akhtarul Islam and assistant commissioner Md Imrul of Ramna Zone, former inspector Arshad Hossain, and constables Sujon, Imaaz Hossain, and Nasirul Islam.

Among them, Arshad, Sujon, Imaaz, and Nasirul are currently in jail. The others are absconding.

Arrest warrants had already been issued for Sudip, Shah Alam, and Imrul. Now, one has also been issued against Habibur.

The six victims, including student Shahid Anas, were shot dead in the capital's Chankharpul on Aug 5, 2024, the day of the Sheikh Hasina government's fall amid a mass student-led uprising.

Presenting the findings of the investigation, Tajul said: “On the instructions of DMP commissioner Habibur Rahman, the accused carried out the killings of six people."

“Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan were also involved in the Chankharpul killings. Since an investigation is ongoing into their roles under superior command responsibility, they have not been named as accused in this case. However, their role in giving orders and planning is described in the chargesheet.”

He continued, “Sheikh Hasina's subordinates implemented her direct orders on the ground. Members of law-enforcing agencies, as well as leaders and activists of the Awami League and the 14-Party Alliance, executed those orders.”

Tajul also noted that more crimes against humanity were committed in Chankharpul during the July Uprising and that members of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations were involved. He said investigations into those incidents are in progress, and additional reports will be submitted once they are completed.

“As the investigation into the killing of six people was completed first, this case was submitted before the others,” he added.

In addition to the 90-page investigation report, the probe agency submitted a large volume of documentary evidence, including the statements of 79 witnesses, 19 video clips, 11 newspaper reports, and two audio call recordings.

“Among the evidence is an audio call involving Habibur, who gave orders from the police command centre to shoot protesters directly with Chinese rifles in order to suppress the movement. After this instruction, police officers used lethal firearms.”