The International Crimes Tribunal has set January 12 to pass its order on charge framing in a case against Salman F Rahman and Anisul Huq over allegations of inciting mass killings and committing crimes against humanity during the July Mass Uprising.
The date was fixed on Tuesday by ICT-1, a two-member tribunal headed by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder, following hearings on a discharge petition filed by the defence and a prosecution plea seeking to frame charges against the two accused.
Senior Advocate Monsurul Haque Chowdhury represented Salman F Rahman and Anisul Huq during the hearing, while Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam argued on behalf of the prosecution.
The prosecution submitted the formal charge on December 4, which was subsequently taken into cognisance by the tribunal.
According to case documents, the allegations centre on a telephonic conversation between Salman F Rahman and Anisul Huq during the July Mass Uprising, in which they allegedly expressed views supporting the elimination of protesters. Prosecutors claim that shortly after the conversation, protesters across the country were subjected to indiscriminate firing.
Based on these events, the prosecution has brought charges of incitement to violence, arguing that the actions and decisions taken during the period contributed to widespread loss of life.
Salman F Rahman and Anisul Huq were arrested on August 13, 2024, from the Sadarghat area of Dhaka while allegedly attempting to leave the capital using river routes. They have remained in custody since their arrest.
