ICT Receives Genocide Complaint Against Hasina Over Shapla Chattar Protest

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) today received another complaint of genocide and crimes against humanity over Hefazat-e-Islam's protest at Shapla Chattar in the capital's Motijheel area in 2013 against more than 50 people including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

The other prominent accused in the complaint are- the then Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, then State Minister for Home Affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku, then Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed, former Army Chief Aziz Ahmed, then prime minister's defence adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddiqui and Journalist and Human Rights Activist Shahriar Kabir.

"We have received a complaint over Shapla Chattar protest from Hefazat-e-Islam leader Azizul Haque Islamabadi. Though they have brought murder and genocide charges against the accused, we have found elements of crimes against humanity in the complaint and would proceed accordingly," ICT Prosecutor Abdullah Al Noman told BSS.

Advocate Noman further said Iffat Ara Begum, mother of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) student Rehan Ahsan, who was allegedly killed in the law enforcement agencies' operation on that day, has also filed a complaint over the murder of her son and the prosecution would proceed with the two complaints collectively.

"Those heartbreaking scenes on May 5, 2013 at Shapla Chattar made all the conscientious people across the globe cry. The way they carried out the massacre by removing the media people from the scene, shutting off the electricity supply, I was there and have witnessed those firsthand. We are carrying those sad memories for a decade," Mawlana Mamunul Haque said.