The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Sunday directed its Investigation Agency to submit the probe report by October 15 in the 2024 July鈥揂ugust crimes against humanity case against Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader and 44 others, mostly his party colleagues and political allies.
The tribunal led by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder granted the extension after the chief prosecutor, Mohammad Tajul Islam, sought additional time for three months to prepare the probe report.
This is the second major case being investigated under the two reconstituted tribunals during the interim government headed by Professor Muhammad Yunus.
On October 17, 2024, the ICT-1 issued arrest warrants for 46 individuals, including Sheikh Hasina, on the first day of the reconstituted tribunal鈥檚 proceedings.
The charges relate to the atrocities committed during the July鈥揂ugust crackdown on student protests.
Hasina was named as the sole accused in one case, while Obaidul Quader and 44 others were charged in a separate case.
The ICTs are currently handling at least 40 cases related to the July鈥揂ugust events and enforced disappearances, with four ready for trial鈥攊ncluding one naming Sheikh Hasina, home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who has turned state鈥檚 evidence.
Out of the 45 accused, 17 are currently in custody. Sixteen of them were produced in court during Sunday鈥檚 hearing, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 advisers Salman F Rahman and Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, and former ministers Amir Hossain Amu, Mohammad Faruk Khan, Abdur Razzaque, Qamrul Islam, Anisul Huq, Rashed Khan Menon, Hasanul Haq Inu, Dipu Moni, Golam Dastagir Gazi, and Kamal Ahmed Majumder.
Also present were former state ministers Zunaid Ahmed Palak and Solaiman Mohammad Selim, as well as ex-Appellate Division judge AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury and former home minister Md Jahangir Alam.
Former shipping minister Shahjahan Khan was absent due to illness, sources in the tribunal said.
During the proceedings, accused Hasanul Haq Inu complained to the tribunal that his voice was recorded by some intelligence members in a Kashimpur Jail in June without his lawyer鈥檚 presence and the court authorisation. In response, chief prosecutor Tajul Islam said the forensic team had collected Inu鈥檚 voice to authenticate a leaked conversation being investigated.
Meanwhile, the ICT-1 extended the deadline until September 23 to complete the investigation into a crime against humanity case against former Dhaka North City Corporation mayor Atiqul Islam and several Awami League leaders over their alleged role in the July鈥揂ugust 2024 student uprising in Uttara.
It tribunal also granted time until December 5 to complete the probe into a separate crime against humanity case involving former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, ex-army officer Ziaul Ahsan, former SP Jashim Uddin Mollah, and four others.
Jail officials said IGP Mamun was not produced in court due to illness.
