Staff Reporter:
Ousted premier Sheikh Hasina, over two dozen journalists and others were sued Thursday over the killing of a 17-year-old college student by law enforcers in the capital’s Shyamoli area during the movement to oust Hasina’s regime.
In total, 53 were named accused in the case filed with the International Crimes Tribunal on charges of committing crimes against humanity and genocide, the ninth time the charge was brought against her since her ouster on 5 August.
According to the complaint, plaintiff Md Golam Razzak’s son Nasib Hasan Rihan, 17, was an 11th-grader student of Mirpur BCIC College and took part in July-August uprising led by university students. He died on the spot on 5 August when law enforcers opened fire on student-led protests.
The journalists accused in the case instigated the shooting and legitimised the unlawful acts by law enforcers by publicising provocative and fabricated news, the complaint claims.
They also encouraged Hasina and consequently law enforcers by asking the ex-PM provocative questions at a press conference on 14 July.
At the press conference, Hasina allegedly instructed law enforcement agencies as well as leaders of her party Awami League and its affiliated organisations to suppress the student-led movement that was being waged to reform the disproportionate quota system in government jobs.
Apart from Hasina, other senior Awami League leaders including Obaidul Quader, Asaduzzaman Khan, Anisul Huq, Hasan Mahmud, and Zunayed Ahmed Palak were also accused in the case.
According to BSS, the journalists accused in the case are: Naimul Islam Khan, Iqbal Subhan Chowdhury, Farida Yasmin, Shyamol Dutta, Mozammel Babu, Nabanita Chowdhury, Subhash Singha Roy, Ahmed Zobayer, Tushar Abdullah, Saiful Alam, Naim Nizam, Abed Khan, Probhash Amin, Farzana Rupa, Shakil Ahmed, Mithila Farzana, Zayedul Hasan Pintu, Monjurul Islam, Ashish Soikat, Manosh Ghosh, Pranab Saha, Masuda Bhatti, Munni Saha, ZI Mamun, Swadesh Roy, Soma Islam, Shyamol Sarker, Ajay Das and Ashraful Alam Khokon.
