BSS
  28 Jul 2025, 16:56

ICT-2 adjourns indictment hearing in Abu Sayed killing case till tomorrow

DHAKA, July 28, 2025 (BSS) - The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-2 today adjourned till tomorrow the hearing on charge-framing in a crimes against humanity case lodged over the killing of Begum Rokeya University (BRU) student Abu Sayed during the July-August Mass Uprising.

The three-judge panel of ICT-2, led by Justice Md Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, passed the order as the prosecution placed arguments for framing charges against the accused.

After the conclusion of the prosecution's hearing, the second tribunal adjourned proceedings till tomorrow, when the defence is scheduled to present its arguments on the matter.

Earlier, on July 22, the second tribunal had ordered the appointment of six state defence counsels to represent 24 fugitive accused to facilitate trial in absentia.

The ICT-2 on June 30 issued arrest warrants against 26 accused, including former vice-chancellor of Begum Rokeya University Professor Dr Md Hasibur Rashid. The tribunal passed the order after taking the formal charges submitted by the prosecution into cognizance.

On June 24, the investigation agency of the ICT filed its probe report in the case, bringing charges against 30 individuals, including a former commissioner of Rangpur Metropolitan Police.

The first tribunal, on June 15, had granted the prosecution one month to submit the investigation report in the case.

It had also allowed the investigation agency to interrogate former sub-inspector of police Amir Hossain and former constable Sujan Chandra Roy on June 18, and former BRU proctor Shariful Islam and general secretary of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) university unit, Imran Chowdhury Akash, on June 19.

The tribunal had shown the four arrested in the case on April 9.

According to the prosecution, before the killing of Abu Sayed on July 16, 2024, then proctor Shariful and leaders and activists of BCL attacked university students and forced them off the campus. At one point, two policemen shot and killed Abu Sayed from close range, prosecution lawyer Muhammad Tajul Islam earlier said.

Family members of martyr Abu Sayed filed a complaint on January 13 against 25 people over his killing.