International Crimes Tribunal sentences three former senior police officers to death for July uprising killings

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The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) delivered a landmark verdict Sunday, sentencing five former police officials for crimes against humanity committed during the July mass uprising in Dhaka. The case centers on the brutal killings of three individuals, including a youth who was shot while clinging to the cornice of an under-construction building in the city’s Rampura area.

The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Majumdar, handed down capital punishment to three high-ranking former officers: ex-Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Habibur Rahman, who was previously sentenced to death in a separate case, former Additional Deputy Commissioner of the Khilgaon zone Rashedul Islam, and former Rampura Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Mashiur Rahman. The court also sentenced former Rampura Police Station Sub-Inspector Tarikul Islam Bhuiyan to life imprisonment. These four defendants remain at large.

The fifth defendant, former Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Chanchal Chandra Sarkar, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Sarkar, who is currently in custody, was present in court for the sentencing.

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Following the proceedings, Chief Prosecutor Md. Aminul Islam expressed satisfaction with the verdict, asserting that the prosecution had proven the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. He described the ruling as a significant step toward justice for the victims and their families, noting that the tribunal’s decision reflects the gravity of the atrocities committed during the unrest.

Conversely, the defense team for Chanchal Chandra Sarkar expressed profound dissatisfaction with the judgment. Defense counsel Sarwar Jahan argued that his client was not present at the scene and was unarmed during the incident. Claiming that the court relied heavily on video footage of questionable origin, Jahan stated that the defense intends to challenge the verdict by filing an appeal with the Supreme Court.