Rampura shootings: Formal charges against ex-DMP chief submitted

The prosecution yesterday submitted formal charges at the International Crimes Tribunal against five former police officials, including Habibur Rahman, ex-commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), in a case filed over crimes against humanity committed in the capital's Rampura during the July uprising.

The other accused are then DMP's (Khilgaon zone) additional deputy commissioner Rashedul Islam; then Rampura Police Station officer-in-charge Mashiur Rahman; then sub-inspector of the police station Tarikul Islam Bhuiyan; and then Rampura police outpost assistant sub-inspector Chanchal Chandra Sarkar.

Only Chanchal is in custody, while the remaining four are on the run.

The charges brought against the accused include murder, attempted murder, conspiracy, complicity, facilitation, abetment, incitement, failure to prevent or punish crimes, and command responsibility -- all under the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973.

According to the prosecution, the case was filed over the killing of two people and the shooting of two others during the movement in Rampura.

On July 19, six-year-old Musa was shot and critically injured during police action. The same bullet fatally struck his grandmother, Ayesha Begum, after passing through the child's body. Musa survived after treatment, but his grandmother died.

Another victim, Md Nadim, was also shot dead during the same incident.

In a separate incident that day, a video went viral on social media showing a young man, later identified as 18-year-old Amir Hossain, hanging from the ledge of an under-construction building. The video appeared to show two policemen shooting at him at close range while he clung to the edge, desperately trying to save himself.

ICT Prosecutor Faruk Ahmed shared these details with journalists after submitting the formal charges to the registrar of ICT-1. The charges are expected to be formally placed before the tribunal soon, according to ICT sources.

On Wednesday, prosecutor Mizanul Islam told reporters that the ICT's investigation agency submitted its investigation report to the prosecution on July 31.