ICT sets Dec 19 for submitting report against Ziaul Ahsan, others

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has set December 19 for submitting a probe report over allegations of killings, genocides and crimes against humanity against eight former security officials, including former director general (DG) of NTMC sacked Maj Gen Ziaul Ahsan, whom the prosecution compared with Serbian atrocious war criminals Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic.

The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, fixed the date on Wednesday as the prosecution pleaded for two months time for submitting a report on the investigation against the alleged crimes committed by the arrested top security officials.

The other seven accused are- former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, former additional superintendent of Police (ASP) Abdullahel Kafi, former Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mirpur Zone Md Jasim Uddin Mollah, former Additional Superintendant of Police (ASP) Md Shahidur Islam, former officer-in-charge of Jatrabari Police Station Abul Hasan, former officer-in-charge of Gulshan Police Station Mazharul Islam and former detective branch (DB) of police inspector Arafat Hossain.

The tribunal also ordered to keep the eight accused in detention.

Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam at the start of today's proceedings pleaded for two months time to submit a report of investigation into the alleged killings, genocides and crimes against humanity committed by the accused, saying the extent of the crimes committed by them is almost beyond the imagination.

"Around 2,000 people were killed, more than 25,000 were injured in the July-August mass uprising. We have received only 200 complaints so far. They have been accused of planning, and preparing for the heinous crimes, ordering, abetment, complicity, inciting and participating in the crimes. We have received so much evidence that we need time to collect and compile those in order. Even the devil would be afraid of committing the crimes committed by these accused," the chief prosecutor said.

Muhammad Tajul Islam at that time read out a summary of the allegations brought against the accused.

Implicating former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun for all the crimes committed during the July-August mass uprising, the chief prosecutor said the police, its different units like DB, CID, APBn, and RAB worked under his supreme command and carried out the barbaric crimes that are rare in history.

"He, being the supreme commanded, bears the liabilities behind all the crimes as he was in the superior position," the chief prosecutor said.