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Published : 27 Jul 2026, 11:24 PM
The International Crimes Tribunal has accepted charges against Sheikh Hasina and 40 others over the 2013 Shapla Chattar killings, clearing the way for trial.
The tribunal issued arrest warrants for 31 absconding suspects, including Hasina, and ordered authorities to produce the remaining 10 suspects, who are already in custody, before the court.
A three-member bench of ICT-2, led by Justice Nozrul Islam Chowdhury, passed the order on Monday.
Speaking to reporters, Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam said: “Trial proceedings will commence following the indictment after legal formalities. We have urged the tribunal to ensure a swift trial.”
On May 5, 2013, Hifazat-e Islam called a rally in Motijheel demanding punishment for bloggers opposing the Shahbagh movement, which spiralled into widespread violence.
A joint operation later that night cleared the area.
Following the Awami League government’s fall in the July Uprising, a complaint concerning the Shapla Chattar incident was filed with the tribunal on Aug 20, 2024.
The chief prosecutor said the prosecution’s investigating team gathered evidence confirming 61 fatalities stemming from the incident, with 58 victims identified.
“Hifazat-e Islam leaders and the human rights organisation Odhikar assisted in the probe. Odhikar’s report was not used as sole evidence, but as supporting material cross-referenced with our own findings,” Aminul said.Detailing the legal grounds of the allegations, he added: “Thirty-two people were killed at Shapla Chhatar and another 20 at Siddhirganj in Narayanganj on 6th of May.
“Both incidents have been categorised as genocide under two separate charges. These include political persecution, attacks on civilians, and genocide.”
