The trial of eight people, including then-Superintendent of Police Anisur Rahman, begins today in the case over the shooting of two Islami Chhatra Shibir leaders in Jashore’s Chougacha in 2016, after they were arrested and a staged gunfight was set up, according to the case file.
The trial will begin on Tuesday at the International Crimes Tribunal-1 with the opening statement in the case and the recording of the first witness’s testimony. Three of the accused in the case are under arrest. They are then-Sub-Inspector Akikul Islam, Constable Sajjadur Rahman and Constable Jaharul Haque of Chougacha Police Station. Apart from Anisur, the other accused, who are absconding, are then-Officer-in-Charge Mashiur Rahman, Sub-Inspector Mokhles, Sub-Inspector Jamal and Sub-Inspector Majedul of Chougacha Police Station. The three arrested accused were produced before the tribunal in the morning.
Earlier, on April 20, the tribunal ordered the trial to begin by formally framing charges against the eight accused. It set June 1 for the opening statement and the taking of evidence. But on June 1, following a time petition by the prosecution, the tribunal set today’s date.
According to the case file, on August 3, 2016, police detained two student leaders in Jashore’s Chougacha on false charges. Instead of producing them in court, police are alleged to have tortured them for two consecutive nights. Then-Superintendent of Police Anisur Rahman is alleged to have had subordinate officers shoot the two in the legs. The two were also said to have had sand pushed into their wounds, bound with cloth and charged in a false case. The sand pushed into the victims’ legs caused the wounds to fester, and their legs later had to be amputated, according to the case file.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report