July Uprising killings: ICT sets 28 June for verdict against ex-DMP chief Habibur, 4 other cops
Chief Prosecutor demanded the maximum punishment for all five accused in the case.
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 has set 28 June for delivering its verdict in a crimes against humanity case against five police officers, including former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner Habibur Rahman, over the killing of two people during the July Uprising in the capital's Rampura area.
The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumdar, set the date today (15 June), after both the prosecution and defence concluded their second round of arguments.
Defence lawyer Sarwar Jahan Nippon argued on behalf of the accused Chanchal Chandra Sarkar, claiming his client's innocence and lack of involvement in the incident.
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However, Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam demanded the maximum punishment for all five accused in the case.
On 10 June, Chanchal Chandra Sarkar, then assistant sub-inspector (ASI) at Rampura Police Outpost, testified again in his defence, during which he raised allegations against a prosecutor. He had previously given evidence in his defence on 13 January.
Apart from Chanchal, the other four accused in the case are currently absconding. They are former DMP commissioner Habibur, former additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of Khilgaon Zone Md Rashedul Islam, former officer-in-charge (OC) of Rampura Police Station Md Mashiur Rahman, and former sub-inspector (SI) of the same police station Tarikul Islam Bhuiyan.
The tribunal had initially set 4 March for the verdict, but proceedings were reopened after the prosecution sought to submit fresh digital evidence.
As part of the process, first prosecution witness Amir Hossain was recalled for further testimony.
On 18 September last year, ICT-1 framed charges against the five accused and began trial proceedings, following the prosecution's submission of formal charges on 7 August.
The case centres on allegations that during the July Uprising, two people were killed in Rampura, including a young man who was shot while hanging from the cornice of a building in an incident that drew widespread public attention.
