Dhaka:Charges have been framed against 26 individuals, including former Dhaka-18 Member of Parliament Mohammad Habib Hasan and former Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Habibur Rahman, in a case relating to the deaths of Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdha and 10 others during the 2024 anti-discrimination student movement in Uttara.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) announced these charges, which mark the commencement of formal trial proceedings. The tribunal, led by Justice Nozrul Islam Chowdhury, was initially scheduled to deliver its order on September 16, but this was postponed twice before finally being pronounced.
The indictment includes police officers and local leaders and activists from the Awami League and its affiliated groups. Eight of the accused are currently in custody, while the remaining 18 are at large. Those in custody include former DMP Additional Deputy Commissioner Mirza Salahuddin and former Officer-in-Charge of Uttara East Police Station Mujibur Rahman.
The case statement details that Mugdha, a student from the Bangladesh University of Professionals, was killed while assisting injured protesters on July 18, 2024. The prosecution alleges that indiscriminate firing by police on both July 18 and 19 resulted in the deaths of Mugdha and 10 others, categorizing these actions as crimes against humanity.
The first charge against the accused includes shooting at protesters on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, resulting in the deaths of seven individuals. Additionally, the charge accuses police of running over Uber driver Mokhlesur Rahman with an armoured personnel carrier and disposing of his body in the Turag River.
The second charge involves the shooting on July 19, which resulted in four more deaths. The prosecution asserts that these events were part of a planned and systematic attack rather than isolated incidents.