Charges filed against Hasina, ex-Army chief Aziz , 39 others

The prosecution has submitted formal charges against 41 people, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former army chief General (retd) Aziz Ahmed, over the May 5, 2013 crackdown on Hefazat-e-Islam's Shapla Chattar rally in the capital, report agencies.

Prosecutor Zahirul Amin submitted the charge sheet to the Registrar of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) at around 10:45 am on Monday. Prosecutor Marjina Raihan accompanied him.

Nine accused are currently in custody in the case.

Earlier, Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam told reporters that investigators had found evidence of 58 killings linked to operations carried out on May 5 and 6, 2013, during Hifazat-e Islam gatherings at Shapla Chattar and in four other districts.

They are former minister Dr Dipu Moni, former state minister for home affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku, Major General (retd) Ziaul Ahsan, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque, former Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Mollah Nazrul Islam, Ghatak-Dalal Nirmul Committee advisory board president Shahriar Kabir, former DIG Abdul Jalil Mondal, and journalists Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Babu.

According to the prosecution, 58 people were killed at four locations, including Dhaka, in connection with the Hefazat rally on May 5, 2013. The investigation agency has identified 32 victims in Dhaka, 20 in Narayanganj, five in Chattogram and one in Cumilla.