Staff Reporter:
Six more cases were filed against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina over murder, genocide and crimes against humanity during the anti-discrimination movement on Thursday.
The latest cases took the number of lawsuits filed against Awami League President Sheikh Hasina since her ouster to 84.
A case against 52 people, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, was lodged with the International Crimes Tribunal’s investigation agency for committing crimes against humanity and genocide during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
In the case statement, 32 journalists were accused of inciting the massacre.
Lawyer MH Gazi Tamim filed the complaint on behalf of Golam Razzaque, father of Nasif Hasan Raihan, 17, a ninth grader at Mirpur BCIC College, who was shot dead in the capital’s Ring Road area in Shyamoli on 5 August.
In addition to Sheikh Hasina, the other accused were former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former home minister Asadduzzaman Khan Kamal, former law minister Anisul Huq, former foreign minister Hasan Mahmud, former information minister Hasanul Haque Inu, former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, former state minister for posts, telecommunications and information technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak, former state minister for information and broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat, former textile and jute minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, former Dhaka North City Corporation mayor Atiqul Islam, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, former Detective Branch Chief (DMP) Harun-or-Rashid, former DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman, former director general of RAB Md Harun-or-Rashid, former Joint Commissioner of DMP Biplob Kumar Sarkar, former Director General of National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre Ziaul Ahsan, former officer-in-charge (OC) of Adabor Police Station Mahabub Rahman, Chhatra League President Saddam Husein, Chhatra League General Secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Enan, former Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik, Professor Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, Barrister Nijhoom Mazumder, Dhaka University teacher Mesbah Kamal, former prime minister’s press secretary Nayeemul Islam Khan, former information adviser to the PM Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, and former deputy press secretary to the PM Ashraful Alam Khokon.
The journalists accused in the case were Mozammel Babu, Nabanita Chowdhury, Subhash Singha Roy, Ahmed Zobair, Tushar Abdullah, Saiful Alam, Naeem Nizam, Farida Yasmin, Shyamol Dutta, Abed Khan, Prabhash Amin, Farzana Rupa, Shakil Ahmed, Mithila Farzana, Zayadul Ahsan Pintu, Monjurul Islam, Ashish Saikat, Manash Ghosh, Pranab Saha, Masuda Bhatti, Munni Saha, JE Mamun, Swadesh Roy, Soma Islam, Shyamal Sarkar and Ajay Das.
According to the complaint, the accused journalists were flatterers of the Awami League government and published false news to instigate the genocide and crimes against humanity committed by the then government and law enforcers, giving legitimacy to those crimes.
Lawyer Tamim told the media that Golam Razzaque’s son Raihan was shot dead in the victory procession on Shyamoli Ring Road. The journalists who met the then prime minister on 3 August and incited her to continue the massacre were charged.
Earlier, on 14 August, charges against 10 individuals and organisations including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina were filed with the International Crimes Tribunal for crimes against humanity including murder, genocide, torture, and other crimes committed during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
Meanwhile, a murder case was filed against Sheikh Hasina, former ministers Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Anisul Huq, RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, and 54 others over the killing of a man during clashes in Brahmanbaria in 2021.
On 27 March, a protest erupted in response to India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh, which led to clashes that resulted in the death of Zahirul Islam, 35, from Brahmanbaria Sadar upazila.
The case was filed by Babul Miah, elder brother of the deceased, at the Brahmanbaria Sadar Model police station, confirmed by station’s Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Mozaffar Hossain.
According to the case statement, the former ministers and other accused ordered the use of firearms and explosives against the protesters, leading to Zahirul’s death on the spot.
Two cases were also filed against Sheikh Hasina and other top leaders of Awami League and former minister of the Awami League led government for killing protesters in Sreepur of Gazipur.
GB and local Awami League leaders clashed with anti-discrimination students in Sreepur of Gazipur. BGB and Awami League activists shot dead six protesters in that clash. The relatives of the two victims filed two separate murder cases at Sreepur model police station.
OC of Sreepur Model Police Station KM Sohel Rana said the two cases were registered around 11:30 pm on Wednesday night. Total 95 people were accused in the two cases.
A case also was filed against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in Phulpur of Mymensingh over the death of Saiful Islam during the quota reform movement. In that, 70 unknown people were accused, including 16 leaders of Awami League.
Saiful Islam (30), son of Taiyab Ali of Chak Dhakirkanda village of Rahimganj union of Phulpur upazila, was shot dead on 20 July. Saiful’s father Taiyab Ali filed the case with a Mymensingh court.
Earlier, Krishak Dal leader Shah Mohammad Ali also filed a case in the court on 20 August making Sheikh Hasina as the main accused over the same death. However, he withdrew the case two days later. Now the father sued as a plaintiff.
Another case was filed against 10 people including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former lawmaker of Mymensingh Sadar constituency Mohit Ur Rahman Shanto in connection with the killing of Redwan Hossain Sagar during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in Mymensingh.
Fahad Uddin Rifat (24), son of Dulal Uddin of Charpara area of Mymensingh city, filed this case at Mymensingh Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court as a plaintiff. Apart from mentioning the names of 10 people, 60-70 unknown people were accused in this case.
Meanwhile, a murder case was filed against 88 people including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in connection with the killing of 25-year-old youth Nadimul Islam Elem during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in front of Suhrawardy College and Kabi Nazrul College in Sutrapur area of the capital.
Kismat Ara, the victim’s mother, filed the case at Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Tariqul Islam’s court on Thursday.
The court ordered the OC of Sutrapur police station to file the statement of the plaintiff, said Kismat Ara.
