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The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has ordered the publication of newspaper notices summoning ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan to appear in court to face charges of crimes against humanity.
A three-member ICT panel headed by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumdar issued the order on Monday after prosecutors informed the tribunal that the accused could not be arrested, reports bdnews24.com.
On Jun 1, the tribunal issued arrest warrants for Hasina and Asaduzzaman after taking into account five charges of crimes against humanity related to the suppression of last year's July Uprising.
At the time, the tribunal set Jun 16 to review progress on their arrests.
Another accused in the case, former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, was produced in court from jail.
Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam told the court that police had failed to find Hasina and Asaduzzaman at their known addresses and that reports suggest they are abroad. The law stipulates that they must now be summoned through notices published in newspapers.
The tribunal then ordered the publication of notices in one Bengali and one English daily, directing the accused to appear in court within seven days.
The court fixed Jun 24 for the next order in the case. If the accused do not appear by then, they will be declared absconders and charges will be formally framed against them, marking the start of the trial for crimes against humanity.
On Jun 1, Tajul submitted an 8,500-page formal complaint to the tribunal. For the first time in Bangladesh’s history, the tribunal proceedings were broadcast live on television for the world to see.
The tribunal’s Investigation Agency had submitted its report on May 12, bringing five charges of crimes against humanity. The report described Hasina as the “mastermind, instigator, and superior commander” behind the atrocities committed in an effort to quell the student-led mass uprising that ultimately toppled the Awami League government.
The ICT was set up by the Awami League government in 2010 to prosecute war crimes committed in 1971. After the fall of the Awami League government on Aug 5, 2024, the interim government initiated proceedings against Hasina and her associates at the same tribunal.
After formal charges were filed, the tribunal issued an arrest warrant for Hasina on Oct 17 at the prosecution’s request. Since leaving the country, the Awami League chief has been residing in India.
The interim government has also amended the law to allow for the trial of the Awami League as a political party for its role in the July–August crackdown.
Several political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami and the student-led National Citizen Party, have long been demanding that Hasina and the Awami League be brought to justice before the next election.
In a recent Facebook post, Law Advisor Asif Nazrul said he hopes the trial will be concluded during the tenure of the interim government.