Complaints have been filed at the International Crimes Tribunal seeking an investigation into the recently resigned president Md Sahabuddin and the former president Abdul Hamid over crimes against humanity during the July 2024 mass uprising. The complaint was filed at the tribunal today, Sunday, on behalf of the Bangladesh Azad Party.
Confirming that the complaint had been filed, the retired colonel Hasinur Rahman told the media: “A complaint has been filed seeking an investigation into the recently resigned president Md Sahabuddin and the former president Abdul Hamid. Although so many people died in the July mass uprising, Md Sahabuddin, as head of the three services, could himself have declared war, but he played no role at that time. Until 5 August he did not protest about Aynaghar, disappearances, killings and so on. He gave silent consent to these crimes, and that is why this complaint has been filed.”
At a briefing at the tribunal that day, leaders of the Bangladesh Azad Party said Abdul Hamid and Md Sahabuddin held the office of head of state at the time of various notable events, including the Pilkhana killings, the Shapla Chattar violence, disappearances and killings.
They also said lawyers often use a term — superior responsibility. That is, at the time of a mass killing, the responsibility for that crime falls essentially on the most senior person of the state or the party present. The presidents of that time, who were also heads of the three services, gave support and protection to the fascist government, did not protest against the wrongs and benefited from power, and therefore cannot escape responsibility for these wrongs. It was for this reason that the complaint was filed on behalf of the Bangladesh Azad Party.
Meanwhile, the Rashtra Sanglap Forum has filed a separate complaint at the International Crimes Tribunal against the recently resigned president Md Sahabuddin, alleging that he assisted the former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted in the face of the mass uprising. The forum’s central member secretary, Al Noor Mohammad Ayas, submitted the complaint to the chief prosecutor at the tribunal’s prosecution department at noon today, Sunday.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report