The International Crimes Tribunal on Tuesday issued arrest warrants against 15 Awami League leaders, including former ministers Hasan Mahmud and Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury, former Chattogram mayor Rezaul Karim, and party鈥檚 Chattogram city unit general secretary AJM Nasir Uddin.
The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder, issued the warrants in connection with the killing of six people, including Chittagong College student Wasim Akram, during the July uprising.
Wasim was the second victim of the unrest after Begum Rokeya University student Abu Sayeed was killed in Rangpur.
Chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam said that the tribunal issued the warrants based on prima facie evidence found by the investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal.
Also among the accused are AL leader Helal Akbar Chowdhury Babor, former Chattogram city Bangladesh Chhatra League general secretary Nurul Azim Rony, and Chandgaon thana Swechchhasebak League president Mohiuddin Farhad.
The prosecution withheld the names of others to prevent them from evading arrest.
The tribunal also issued a production warrant for Juba League leader Md Firoz, ordering jail authorities to present him before the court on April 8.
On February 17, the tribunal also ordered jail authorities to show former AL lawmaker ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury arrested in the killing of the six people after he was produced before the ICT in another case.
In another case, the tribunal extended the deadline for submitting an investigation report on crimes against humanity perpetrated in Mohammadpur and sent to jail Ansar member Omar Faruk who was arrested in the case.
Mohammadpur councillor Asif Ahmed remains a fugitive with an arrest warrant on him in the Mohammadpur killing case.
Meanwhile, Tajul Islam dismissed protests by July uprising victims demanding his removal, alleging delays in investigation and trial processes.
He said that such demonstrations were unnecessary and might be influenced by a vested group.
He urged the protesters to meet with the prosecution if they had concerns, saying that conducting probes was the responsibility of the investigations agency, while prosecution began only after submission of investigation reports.