Prosecutors at Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal have sought the maximum possible punishment for five former police officials accused of crimes against humanity during the July Mass Uprising in the capital’s Rampura area.
The plea was made on Thursday during the prosecution’s closing arguments before ICT-1, relating to a case involving the fatal shooting of a youth who was hanging from the cornice of a building, as well as the killing of two other individuals in the same area.
According to the prosecution, the incident occurred when police opened fire during unrest in Rampura, resulting in the death of three people. Prosecutors argued that the actions amounted to crimes against humanity and warranted the highest level of punishment under the law.
At the conclusion of Thursday’s hearing, the tribunal adjourned proceedings until 3 February, when defence lawyers are scheduled to present their arguments.
Formal charges in the case were submitted on 7 August 2025, alleging that police personnel fired on a student hanging from a building’s cornice in Rampura and killed two others during the same operation.
On 18 September, ICT-1 framed charges against five former law enforcement officials: former Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Habibur Rahman, former Additional Deputy Commissioner of Khilgaon Zone Md Rashedul Islam, former Officer-in-Charge of Rampura Police Station Md Moshiur Rahman, former Sub-Inspector Tariqul Islam Bhuiyan, and former Assistant Sub-Inspector Chanchal Chandra Sarkar.
Of the five accused, Chanchal Chandra Sarkar has been arrested and is currently facing trial in person, while the remaining accused are being tried in absentia.
