Staff Reporter:
The International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) yesterday framed charges in a crime against humanity (CAH) case over the killing of Begum Rokeya University (BRU) student Abu Sayed during the July-August Mass Uprising of 2024.
The three-member tribunal, headed by Justice Md Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, passed the order, rejecting discharge petitions submitted by counsels for some of the accused.
Six out of the 30 accused were produced before the court and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Those in custody and facing trial in person are former BRU proctor Shariful Islam, former assistant registrar Rafiul Hasan Russel, former staffer Md Anwar Pervej, former sub-inspector of police Amir Hossain, former constable Sujan Chandra Roy, and former general secretary of the now-banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) university unit, Imran Chowdhury Akash.
Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam pressed for the framing of charges during the hearing on July 30, while on July 29, defence counsels filed discharge petitions for three of the detained accused.
Advocate Azizur Rahman Dulu represented Sujan Chandra Roy, Advocate Aminul Gani Titu appeared for Shariful Islam, and Advocate Salauddin Regan stood for Imran Chowdhury Akash.
Earlier, on July 22, the tribunal appointed six state defence counsels to represent fugitive accused in or-der to conduct the trial in absentia.
On June 30, ICT-2 issued arrest warrants against 26 fugitives, including former Begum Rokeya Univer-sity vice-chancellor Professor Dr Md Hasibur Rashid, following the tribunal’s acceptance of the formal charges submitted by the prosecution.
The investigation agency had submitted its report on June 24, bringing charges against 30 individuals, including a former commissioner of Rangpur Metropolitan Police.
Earlier, on June 15, the first tribunal had given the prosecution a one-month deadline to submit the in-vestigation report. Subsequently, the investigation agency was allowed to interrogate four arrestees – Amir Hossain and Sujan Chandra Roy on June 18, and Shariful Islam and Imran Chowdhury Akash on June 19.
The tribunal formally showed the four accused arrested in the case on April 9.
According to the prosecution, on July 16, 2024, just before Abu Sayed’s killing, then-proctor Shariful Islam and BCL activists forcibly removed students from the BRU campus. During the incident, two po-licemen allegedly shot and killed Sayed at close range.
The martyr’s family lodged a complaint on January 13, 2025, accusing 25 individuals in connection with the killing.
