Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 has set December 14 as the date for deciding whether to charge 13 people, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in a case involving alleged enforced disappearances and torture at a Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC).
The tribunal's three-member panel, chaired by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mazumder, set the date after hearing arguments from both prosecutors and defence lawyers.
Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam urged the court to move forward with charge framing, while defence counsel asked the tribunal to release the accused.
Prosecutors say the case involves five specific allegations of enforced disappearance and torture linked to the JIC during the previous Awami League administration.
Three of the accused — Sheikh Md Sarwar Hossain, Md Mahbubur Rahman Siddiqui, and Ahmed Tanvir Mazhar Siddiqui — were brought before the tribunal during the proceedings.
On October 8, the tribunal took cognisance of allegations against 30 people, including Ms Hasina, in two separate cases involving alleged enforced disappearances and torture at the JIC and another facility referred to by prosecutors as the Taskforce for Interrogation (TFI) Cell.
Ms Hasina, her former security and defence adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddique, and 11 others are charged in the JIC case: Md Akbar Hossain, Md Saiful Abedin, Md Saiful Alam, Md Tabrej Shams Chowdhury, Hamidul Haque, Mohammad Touhidul Islam, Sheikh Md Sarwar Hossain, Kabir Ahammed, Md Mahbubur Rahman Siddiqui, Ahmed Tanvir Mazhar Siddiqui, and Mokhchurul Haque.
Prosecutors have also filed a separate case at the TFI Cell, alleging five crimes against 17 people, including Ms Hasina and Mr Siddique.
Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Benazir Ahmed, M Khurshid Hossain, Barrister Md Harun Ur Rashid, Anwar Latif Khan, Md Jahangir Alam, Tofayel Mostafa Sarwar, KM Azad, Md Qamrul Hasan, Md Mahabub Alam, Abdullah Al Momen, Md Sarwar Bin Qashem, Md Khairul Islam, Md Moshiur Rahman Jewel, and Saiful Islam Suman are among those named in the case.
The tribunal is expected to issue its decision on December 14.
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