A tribunal has set June 16 as the new date for the opening statement and recording of testimony against eight accused — including then-Superintendent of Police (SP) Anisur Rahman — in a crimes-against-humanity case over the 2016 shooting and crippling of two Chhatra Shibir leaders in Chougacha, Jashore, who were arrested, subjected to a staged “gunfight” and inhumanly tortured.
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 set the new date on Monday (June 1). The opening statement and testimony were due that day but were postponed following a prosecution application.
The three accused in custody are former Chougacha police station Sub-Inspector (SI) Akikul Islam, constable Sajjadur Rahman and constable Joharul Haque. They were brought to the tribunal from jail on Monday morning.
The fugitive accused are then-SP Anisur Rahman, then-Chougacha OC Mashiur Rahman, SI Mokhles, SI Jamal and SI Majedul.
Earlier, on April 20, the tribunal ordered the trial to begin by framing formal charges against the eight accused. During the framing, the accused in custody claimed innocence and sought justice, and the opening statement and testimony were then set for Monday.
According to the prosecution, on August 3, 2016, police detained Chougacha upazila Chhatra Shibir secretary Israfil Hossain and literary secretary Ruhul Amin in a false case. They were not produced in court and were tortured for two straight nights. Police subordinates then shot them in the legs in a staged “gunfight.”
The charges also state that after the shooting, sand was pushed into the two Shibir leaders’ wounds, which were tied with cloth, and they were sent up on a false case. The arms case was later proven false. Because of the sand in their wounds, gangrene set in and their legs had to be amputated.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report