The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Thursday set September 15 to deliver its decision on whether former Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Habibur Rahman and four of his subordinates will be charged with crimes against humanity committed during the July 2024 mass uprising in the capital鈥檚 Rampura area.
The three-member tribunal, chaired by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, fixed the date after hearing submissions from chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam, state-appointed defence counsel Amir Hossain, who appeared for absconding police officials, and lawyer Sarwar Jahan who represented the lone detained police official.
Besides the former DMP commissioner, the other accused in the case are former Khilgaon zone assistant commissioner Md Rashedul Islam, former Rampura police station officer-in-charge Md Mashiur Rahman, sub-inspector Tariqul Islam Bhuiyan and former Rampura police outpost in-charge Chanchal Chandra Sarker.
Chanchal, the lone accused currently in custody, was present in the dock.
The tribunal also scheduled a further hearing on September 14 to hear final arguments from Chanchal鈥檚 lawyer, Sarwar Jahan, who claimed his client was not present at the crime scene during the alleged atrocities.
On August 7, prosecutors submitted charges against the five officers, accusing them of killing two protesters in Rampura on July 19, 2024, attacking civilian Amir Hossain and committing other acts amounting to crimes against humanity.
According to the prosecution, Amir Hossain was caught in police gunfire while returning from Jummah prayers.
He took shelter in a nearby under-construction building, but police allegedly pursued him, forced him at gunpoint to jump from the fourth floor, and then shot him while he was hanging from a rod.
Amir later survived after being rescued and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Chanchal is accused of shooting a student protester and hanging the body from a rooftop to spread fear.
Prosecutors also claimed that, on the same day, two more people, a child and her grandmother, were killed by a single bullet during police firing, based on witness accounts.
Habibur Rahman is already facing similar charges for his alleged role in ordering police to open fire on protesters at Chankharpool, where six demonstrators were killed in the final days of the uprising that led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League regime.
On Thursday, the tribunal also recorded testimony from two prosecution witnesses in the Chankharpool case, bringing the total number of depositions to 13.
One witness, Md Moniruzzaman, who participated in the movement with his son Tawfiquzzaman testified that he saw police fatally shoot a protester named Junaid on August 5, 2024, and later saw co-protesters carry Junaid to Sir Salimullah Medical College, where he was declared dead.
The tribunal will resume the Rampura case hearing on Sunday.
