ICT orders completion of probe against ex-IGP Mamun, 7 others in a month

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has ordered its investigation agency to submit reports within one month in the cases filed against eight accused, including former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun.

Former director general of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC) Major General (retd) Ziaul Ahsan is among the accused.

The cases were filed over killings and crimes committed against humanity committed during the July-August mass uprising.

The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder, passed the order, said tribunal’s chief prosecutor Advocate Md Tajul Islam.

The court ordered keeping the eight accused in jail until the submission of the investigation reports, the chief prosecutor said.

Earlier in the morning, the eight accused were produced before the ICT in connection with killings during the July-August mass uprising.

Advocate Tajul Islam said that the accused were brought before the tribunal on Wednesday after being shown arrested in cases related to crimes against humanity.

All of them are currently behind bars in connection with other cases.

The accused include former Jatrabari Police Station OC Abul Hasan, former superintendent of Dhaka police Md Abdullah Al Kafi, former DC (Mirpur) Md Jasim Uddin Mollah, former additional superintendent (Savar Circle) Md Shahidur Islam, former OC of Gulshan Police Station Md Mazharul Haque and former Detective Branch inspector Md Arafat Hossain.

On October 27, the ICT had ordered that 14 accused be produced before it on November 18.

Thirteen people, including nine former ministers of the ousted Awami League government, were subsequently presented in court. But, former agriculture minister Dr Abdur Razzaque could not be brought before the tribunal due to his illness.

Besides, the court had directed that former IGP Abdullah Al Mamun, former army officer Ziaul Ahsan, and the other aforementioned police officials be presented on November 20, as per schedule.

Various allegations, including killing, torture, abduction, and harassment, have been lodged with the ICT against the accused following the ousting of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5.

The July-August uprising, which began as a protest over government jobs, escalated into a full-blown anti-government movement, causing  deaths to some 1,000 people and leaving many others injured, and bringing in an end to Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule.