Tribunal Frames Charges Against 26 in Mugdha Killing Case

The International Crimes Tribunal has formally framed charges against 26 accused in a crimes against humanity case over the killing of 11 people, including student Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdha, in Dhaka’s Uttara during the July 2024 uprising.

The order, issued on Sunday, October 11, marks the formal start of the trial against the accused before Tribunal-2.

The judicial panel was led by Tribunal-2 Chairman Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, with Justices Md Manjurul Bashid and Noor Mohammad Shahriar Kabir as its other members.

The tribunal had initially scheduled the charge-framing order for September 16, but deferred it to September 23 before setting October 11 as the next date.

A total of 26 people, including former police officers and local leaders and activists of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations, have been accused in the case. Eight are in custody, while the remaining 18 are fugitives.

Those in custody include former Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police for the Uttara Division Mirza Salahuddin, former Uttara East Police Station officer-in-charge Mujibur Rahman, former Azampur police outpost constable Hossain Ali, Uttara East Awami League president Monowar Islam Chowdhury Robin, Jubo League leader Delwar Hossain Rubel, Awami League leader Sohel Rana, ward-level Swechchhasebak League vice-president Shah Alam and Turag-based Awami League activist Irfanul Haque Gazi.

The fugitives include former Dhaka-18 lawmaker Mohammad Habib Hasan, former Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Habibur Rahman, former Uttara Division deputy commissioner Kazi Ashraful Azim and several other former police officials, local councillors and political activists.

According to the prosecution, Mugdha, a student at Bangladesh University of Professionals, was shot on July 18, 2024, in Uttara’s Sector 3 while helping transport injured protesters to hospital and distributing water and biscuits among demonstrators. He was taken to Uttara Crescent Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

The prosecution alleges that 11 people were shot dead in Uttara on July 18 and 19, 2024, during the crackdown on the July uprising.

The first charge concerns the deaths of Mugdha, Zahiduzzaman Tanvin, Sheikh Fahmin Zafar, Md Shakil Hossain, Md Sabbir Hossain and Sajib Sarkar on July 18. It also includes the allegation that Uber driver Mokhlesur Rahman Durjoy was killed after being crushed under the rear wheel of an armoured personnel carrier.

The second charge concerns the alleged killings of Ridwan Sharif, Md Sabbir Islam, Md Asadullah and Naima Sultana in Uttara on July 19.

The charges remain allegations to be examined during the trial.