ICT-2will begin hearing testimonies on December 8 in a case against Awami League (AL) Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif and three others, filed over the killing of six people during the July Uprising in Kushtia, report agencies.
The ICT-2 issued the order on Tuesday.
Prosecutor Md Mizanul Islam presented the opening statement on that day as part of the testimony process.
The other suspects in the case are Kushtia District Council Chairman and Kushtia Awami League President Sadar Uddin Khan, General Secretary Azgar Ali and Sadar Upazila Chairman Ataur Rahman Ata.
Later, Mizanul Islam told reporters that the court took the matter into congisance after the formal charge was filed against AL Joint General Secretary Mahbub ul Alam Hanif and three local leaders of Kushtia at the Tribunal-2.
Since the accused were absconding, the opening statement presentation has been scheduled for Tuesday after the process for a trial in absentia was completed.
"Today we have presented the opening statement to the honourable tribunal. We said these four people conducted all sorts of machinations to snatch away the people's rights to life, ignoring their rights and lives while trying to stay in the good books of an extremely powerful person in Bangladesh. They did it only to serve their own interest and maintain their own power."
He said he had noted 38 witnesses in the list of evidence.
They include eight members of the martyrs' families, eight eyewitnesses, eight people injured in the violence, eight participants in the movement, one police officer, one journalist, two witnesses related to the seizure list, two experts, one special investigation officer, and one investigating officer.
Moreover, other evidence that will be presented to the tribunal included audio clips, video clips, expert reports, and forensic reports, he said.
The prosecutor said the next hearing in the case has been set for December 8.
On November 2, the tribunal ordered the case against Hanif and three others to trial.
Before that, on Oct 6, the tribunal took into account the complaint against Hanif and three other suspects. On the same day, arrest warrants were issued against them and authorities were ordered to present the accused to the court on Oct 14.
However, on the scheduled day, police informed the court that the suspects could not be arrested. In that context, the tribunal ordered the publication of notices in two national dailies, with directives for the four suspects to appear at the court.
The tribunal then appointed lawyers for the fugitive defendants on October 23. It also set October 27 as the date for framing charges.
One of the three charges taken into consideration against Hanif is the charge of "command responsibility". He has been accused of supporting Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader's statement saying "Awami League and Chhatra League were enough to prevent the protesters" while being present at the media briefing.
Another allegation entails giving "direct orders to kill the students and members of the public" and "conspiracy' at a meeting in Kushtia on Jul 29, 2024.
The third allegation is that he "killed six people" in Kushtia city during the mass protests in July and August 2024.
