The International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) has framed charges against former information minister Hasanul Haque Inu, Awami League joint general secretary Md Mahbubul Alam Hanif and three others in two separate cases filed in connection with crimes against humanity.
The three-member tribunal, headed by its chairman Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, passed the order on Sunday after taking the charges brought against them into cognizance.
The prosecution brought eight specific charges, including command responsibility for committing horrific crimes and involvement in the killing of six people in Kushtia during the July-August 2024 mass uprising, against Inu.
The tribunal earlier read out the charges to the accused and asked him whether he would like to plead guilty or not.
In response, Hasanul Haque Inu, also the president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASAD), pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution on October 23 submitted its arguments for framing charges against the former minister and pleaded for his indictment. The second tribunal on September 25, 2025, took cognizance of the formal charge filed against Inu.
The court also set November 30 for the prosecution to place its opening statement and to begin recording the testimonies of the witnesses in the case filed against Inu.
The ICT-2 also framed charges of crimes against humanity against four persons, including Awami League joint general secretary Md Mahbubul Alam Hanif, in a separate case lodged over the killings of six people in Kushtia during the July-August mass uprising.
Three other accused are--- Kushtia district Awami League president Sadar Uddin Khan, general secretary Azgar Ali and Kushtia city Awami League general secretary Ataur Rahman Khan Ata. A total of three specific allegations were brought against them.
All the four accused are yet to be arrested and are being tried in absentia.
The tribunal set November 25 for placing opening statement by the prosecution.
Earlier on October 6, the ICT-2 took the formal charge submitted in the case into its cognizance. It also issued arrest warrant against the fugitive accused on that day.
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