ICT probe report by this month

The investigation into the case filed against Sheikh Hasina over alleged crimes against humanity during the July uprising is nearing completion, and the probe report will be submitted "very soon", said a prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) yesterday.

ICT Prosecutor Gazi Monawar Hossain Tamim told reporters that the case against Hasina is "the biggest investigation ever" conducted by the tribunal's agency.

"Hopefully, the investigation agency will submit its report within a short time," he said while talking to reporters at the tribunal premises.

When asked for clarification, Tamim told The Daily Star that "very soon" meant within this month.

On April 20, ICT Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam had said the probe report would likely be submitted by the following week. However, the investigation agency failed to submit the report as per the prosecution's announcement and requested more time.

An investigator from the agency, requesting anonymity, confirmed to this newspaper that significant progress has been made in several key cases related to the July uprising.

According to the prosecution, three cases have been filed against Hasina with the ICT, while over a hundred complaints have been submitted to the Chief Prosecutor's Office.

One case names Hasina and former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun for direct involvement in crimes against humanity during the July uprising. This investigation is in its final stages.

Another case involves allegations of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings during the 15 and a half years of Awami League rule.

The third case was filed over the killings during the Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel in 2013.

Meanwhile, the ICT yesterday allowed its investigation agency to again interrogate three former senior police officials in connection with another case regarding the 2016 killings of nine people in Kalyanpur.

The accused are former IGP AKM Shahidul Hoque, former DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia, and former Deputy Commissioner of DMP's Mirpur Division Jasim Uddin Mollah. They were produced before the tribunal yesterday.