Former Presidents Shahabuddin and Hamid Face Genocide Complaints at International Crimes Tribunal

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Formal complaints have been filed with the International Crimes Tribunal against former presidents Mohammed Shahabuddin and Abdul Hamid, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing legal scrutiny of the previous administration. The petitions were submitted separately on Thursday by the Bangladesh Ajadi Party and the Rashtrasanglap Forum.

The Bangladesh Ajadi Party’s filing alleges that both former heads of state provided tacit approval and explicit support for the policies of the ousted Awami League government. The group further contends that the two men facilitated or remained complicit in a series of major incidents, including the 2009 BDR mutiny in Pilkhana, the 2013 Shapla Chattar operation, and systemic patterns of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings during their respective tenures.

In a separate submission, the Rashtrasanglap Forum directed its focus toward the recent July uprising. The organization has formally requested that investigators examine Mohammed Shahabuddin’s role as an alleged architect behind the state-sanctioned violence, including the authorization of lethal force, torture, and the abduction of demonstrators during the period of civil unrest.

The office of the Chief Prosecutor has received the filings but has declined to issue a formal statement or comment on the specifics of the allegations at this time.