The prosecution has sought the maximum punishment for seven defendants, including former road transport and bridges minister and banned Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader, in the crimes-against-humanity case over the July uprising. It has also sought orders to confiscate their property.
Chief prosecutor Mohammad Aminul Islam told reporters after closing the prosecution’s closing arguments at the International Crimes Tribunal on Wednesday.
The other defendants are banned Awami League joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim; former state minister for information Mohammad Ali Arafat; Jubo League president Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash and general secretary Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil; and the banned terrorist organization Chhatra League’s president Saddam Hossain and general secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan. All seven defendants are fugitives.
Chief prosecutor Aminul Islam requested the sentences before a three-member panel of Tribunal-2 led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury. The other members are judges Mohammad Manzurul Bashid and Nur Mohammad Shahriar Kabir.
The chief prosecutor said all seven defendants had committed serious crimes and that the prosecution had proved all four charges against them. He said they were responsible for killing and injuring many people during the July-August 2024 uprising and asked for the maximum punishment without leniency.
On the sixth day of the prosecution’s arguments, prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim first presented the legal aspects, followed by the chief prosecutor. After the prosecution concluded, state-appointed lawyer M Hasan Imam began arguments for the fugitive defendants.
The prosecution began its closing arguments on August 4. Over five working days, prosecutors presented evidence and arguments supporting the allegations against the seven defendants. The prosecution says they jointly directed, incited and provoked efforts to suppress the July-August movement, including calls for party activists to take to the streets, plans for violence at meetings, armed attacks and severe repression. It also presented phone conversations as evidence and described the role of some defendants in controlling the media.
The prosecution said a series of these actions led to killings, attempted killings and widespread violence across the country. Witness testimony ended on August 2; 28 people, including the investigating officer, testified for the state. Tribunal-2 ordered the trial to begin after framing charges against the seven defendants on January 22 this year. The tribunal took cognizance of the prosecution’s formal charges on December 18 last year.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report