Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Jasod) president Hasanul Haq Inu has been formally charged with crimes against humanity for his alleged role in the brutal crackdown on protesters during the July鈥揂ugust 2024 student-led mass uprising.
The charges were submitted on Thursday by prosecutor Mizanul Islam to the International Crimes Tribunal-2, chaired by retired High Court judge Nozrul Islam Chowdhury.
The tribunal has scheduled a hearing for September 29 to decide whether the charges will be formally framed.
The tribunal also directed jail authorities to produce Inu, who is currently detained in Dhaka Central Jail, before the tribunal on that day.
This is the first ICT case filed against Inu, a former information and broadcasting minister and a senior leader of the AL-led 14-party alliance.
He is also the first detained political figure to face such charges for command responsibility during the student-led uprising.
The first trial related to the July crackdown, killings and other crimes against fugitive former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and detained former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun has reached its final stage. A total of 53 prosecution witnesses have given depositions.
Mamun later turned approver in the case.
Inu was arrested on August 26, 2024, by a team of the Detective Branch from a flat in Uttara, Dhaka.
He was arrested in a murder case filed on August 21, 2024, with the New Market police station, over the killing of a protester during the July mass uprising.
According to the prosecutor, a total of eight charges were submitted to the ICT-2, implicating Inu in a wide-ranging conspiracy involving senior Awami League leaders, local party officials, and law enforcement to suppress a nationwide student-led mass uprising demanding the resignation of then prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
According to the eight charges, on August 5, 2024, under the leadership and coordination of Inu and others, AL leaders and activists opened fire on unarmed protesters in Kushtia, with assistance and cover from the police.
Between 1:30pm and 4:00pm, six people were shot dead in separate incidents across Kushtia.
The victims were Ashraful Islam, a labourer, near Bak Square; Suruz Ali Babu, at Barmiz Lane; Abdullah Al Mustakin and Md Usama, both students, at Haripur-bound Road鈥檚 Arot; Babul Farazi, a trader, at Tula Patti Lane; and Yunus, a job holder, near the Fire Service office.
All were participating in or supporting the 鈥楳arch to Dhaka鈥� programme called by student protesters.
On August 5, 2024, following a coordinated plan and orders from senior Awami League leaders and local party figures, ruling party activists鈥攕ome acting alongside police鈥攐pened fire on unarmed student protesters in Kushtia.
The alleged conspiracy involved AL joint secretary general and former MP Mahbubul Alam Hanif, 14-party alliance leader Hasanul Haq Inu, Kushtia AL president Md Sadar Uddin Khan, general secretary Md Ali Asgar Ali, and Kushtia town AL general secretary Ataur Rahman Ata.
Leaders and activists from AL and its affiliated organisations, including Ajoy Surekha, Manab Chaki, Atikur Rahman Anik, Sheikh Hafiz Challenge, Rashidul Islam Biplob, Toiyob Badsha, Taizal Ali Khan, and Swapan Kumar, were also named in the plan.
According to the charge, the attack took place between 1:30pm and 4:00pm, resulting in the killing of six unarmed students and civilians who had joined the protests.
The seventh charge claims Inu maintained close contact with Sheikh Hasina and played a key role in approving a curfew on August 4, 2024, which included shoot-at-sight orders. The curfew was part of a broader plan to violently suppress the movement by labelling protesters as 鈥榚xtremists鈥� and justifying the use of lethal force.
The sixth charge says Inu was present at a July 29 meeting, chaired by Hasina, where protesters were labelled as BNP, Jamaat, criminals and communal forces 鈥� a move allegedly intended to delegitimise the movement and justify repression.
According to the fifth charge, on July 27, Inu made inflammatory remarks in an interview with News24, again branding the protesters as 鈥楤NP-Jamaat鈥� and supporting the use of curfews and lethal weapons.
The fourth charge states Inu conspired with Hasina to use army force, helicopters, and bombings to block and attack protesters.
He supported Hasina鈥檚 decision to declare a curfew on July 20, 2024, and to use deadly force.
The third charge alleges Inu personally phoned the Kushtia Superintendent of Police on July 20, 2024, ordering them to identify, track, and act against protesters using photos. He approved both torture and killings.
The second charge says Inu attended a July 19 meeting at Ganabhaban, where the decision was made to deploy the army and impose a curfew with shoot-on-sight powers.
The first charge relates to a July 18, 2024 interview with India-based Mirror Now, where Inu called for the government to use force against protesters, again portraying them as 鈥楤NP, Jamaat, criminals, and communal鈥�.
