Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) prosecution on Monday filed formal charges against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 40 others, accusing them of crimes against humanity over the May 5, 2013 crackdown on a Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Dhaka’s Shapla Chattar. The charges have been submitted to the tribunal’s registrar and will now be considered by the court.
Besides Hasina, those named include several former ministers, senior Awami League leaders, retired army chief Gen (retd) Aziz Ahmed, former police chiefs Benazir Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud Khandaker, Shahidul Hoque and Mohammad Javed Patwary, former Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officials, senior police officers, Gonojagoron Mancha convener Dr Imran H Sarker, Sector Commanders Forum president Shahriar Kabir, and journalists Mozammel Haque Babu and Farzana Rupa.
Earlier in the day, ICT Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam said investigators had identified 58 people killed in connection with the operation carried out in Dhaka and four other districts on May 5-6, 2013. According to the prosecution, the figure is based on witness testimonies, official documents and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
The May 5, 2013 incident remains one of the most controversial episodes in Bangladesh’s recent political history. Hefazat-e-Islam had called a “Dhaka blockade” programme demanding the implementation of its 13-point charter, which included stopping activities it described as anti-Islamic, protecting religious values and taking action against bloggers accused of hurting religious sentiments.
Thousands of Hefazat supporters gathered at Dhaka’s Motijheel Shapla Chattar as part of the programme. Late at night, security forces launched an operation to disperse the gathering. The exact number of deaths during the operation has remained disputed. While the then Awami League government said the number of casualties was limited, Hefazat and several human rights organisations alleged a much higher death toll. The incident continues to remain a deeply contested chapter in Bangladesh’s political history.