Dhaka: The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 today set February 22 for recording deposition of the prosecution witnesses in a case against Salman F Rahman and Anisul Huq for allegedly inciting mass killings and other crimes against humanity by imposing curfew during the July mass uprising. The two-member tribunal, headed by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder, passed the order as Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam placed opening statement in the case.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the first tribunal on January 12 framed charges against the duo in the case. The prosecution submitted the formal charge on December 4, which the tribunal later took into cognizance. The case documents reveal that Salman and Anisul had a telephonic conversation during the July Uprising, where they allegedly expressed views in favor of eliminating protesters.
Shortly after the conversation, protesters reportedly came under indiscriminate firing across the country, prompting the prosecution to bring charges of incitement to violence against them. Anisul Huq and Salman F Rahman were arrested on August 13, 2024, from Dhaka's Sadarghat area while they were attempting to flee the capital through river routes. They had remained in jail since then.