Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh has filed a complain at International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) against 44 people, including deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina for their alleged involvement in the mass killings of activists of the organisation during its protest rally at Shapla Chattar, Motijheel in Dhaka on May 5, 2013.
The other accused are the then home minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, then state minister for home affairs Shamsul Huque Tuku, then agriculture minister Abdur Razzaque, former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed, former Army Chief Aziz Ahmed, then prime minister's defence adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddiqui and human rights activist Shahriar Kabir.
Hefazat-e-Islam leader Junayed Al Habib filed the complaint at the ICT addressing the tribunal's chief prosecutor on Tuesday (November 26).
Earlier, another complaint was submitted at the ICT on behalf of Mufti Harun Izahar. The complaint was lodged against Sheikh Hasina, Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader, former minister Rashed Khan Menon, Dhaka South City Corporation's former mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, former minister Hasan Mahmud, former MP Haji Selim, former prime minister's adviser Salman F Rahman, former MP of Narayanganj Shamim Osman, former prime minister's adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddiqui, former army chief Aziz Ahmed, former IGP AKM Shahidul Huq, former IGP Benazir Ahmed, former additional director general of RAB Ziaul Ahsan, former additional commissioner of DMP (DB) Harun-ar_rashid, former deputy commissioner of DMP Biplob Kumar Sarker, Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee's president Shahriar Kabir, Nirmul Committee member Prof Muntasir Mamun, ICT's former prosecutor Turin Afroze, Gana Jagoron Mancha convener Imran H Sarker and National Security Intelligence (NSI)'s Md Manzur Ahmed.
"We have received a complaint over Shapla Chattar protest from Hefazat-e-Islam led by Maulana Mamunul Huque. Though they have brought murder and genocide charges against the accused, we have found elements of crimes against humanity in the complaint and would proceed accordingly," ICT prosecutor Abdullah Al Noman said.
Advocate Noman further said Iffat Ara Begum, mother of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) student Rehan Ahsan, who was allegedly killed in the law enforcement agencies' operation on that day, has also filed a complaint over the murder of her son and the prosecution would proceed with the two complaints collectively.
"Those heartbreaking scenes on May 5, 2013 at Shapla Chattar made all the conscientious people across the globe cry. The way they carried out the massacre by removing the media people from the scene, shutting off the electricity supply, I was there and have witnessed those firsthand. We are carrying those sad memories for a decade," Mamunul Haque said.
