Witnesses are scheduled to place their depositions in a case related to crimes against humanity against Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Jasad) president and former Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu today (November 30).
The case was filed againt Inu and others over the killing of six people during the July mass uprising in Kushtia in 2024.
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-2 ordered the commencement of trial proceedings against Hasanul Huq Inu in the case on November 2 last.
The depositions will be placed before a three-member tribunal-2 led by Justice Md Nazrul Islam Chowdhury. Other two members are retired District and Sessions Judge Md Manzurul Basit and District and Sessions Judge Noor Mohammad Shahriar Kabir.
Meanwhile, Inu submitted a review petition against the formal charge framing order of the ICT-2. He termed the July mass uprising as "so-called" which was considered by the prosecution as "treason." The tribunal is likely to pass an order in this regard today.
It may be mentioned that the ICT-2 ordered commencement of trial proceedings against Inu by framing eight charges on November 2 last, and fixed today (November 30) for placing introductory remarks and recording the depositions of witnesses.
After the charges were read out at the court on that day, Inu standing on the dock claimed himself "completely innocent."
Earlier, his lawyer told the court that the charges aginst his client were not true and sought his acquittal. But the prosecution said Inu could not evade his responsibility as a leader of the 14-party alliance.
The prosecution submitted eight charges including collaboration with the mass killing in July-August last year to the tribunal on September 25 last. Following the hearing, the tribunal issued a production warrant against Inu taking the charges against him into cognizance.
Hasanul Huq Inu was arrested from Uttara in Dhaka on August 26 last year. He is now in jail in several cases. Inu served as information minister during the Awami League rule. However, he got defeated by a rebel Awami League candidate in his own constituency in the 12th Jatiya Sangsad election.
During the July-August movement, workers Ashraful Islam, Suruj Ali Babu, student Abdullah Al Mustakin, Usama, trader Babul Farazi and employee Yusuf Sheikh were killed and many common people were injured. In connection with the killings, a case was filed against Inu at the ICT-2. Following the investigation, as many as eight charges including provocation and conspiracy were brought against him. In the 39-page formal charge, the names of 20 witnesses were mentioned. Besides, three audio tapes and six videos were attached as evidence.
END/ZAK
