Highlights
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) today (30 June) sentenced Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President and former minister Hasanul Haq Inu to 10 years' imprisonment after convicting him in a crimes against humanity case over his role in the killing of six people and other offences committed during the July uprising in Kushtia.
The verdict was announced at 2:30pm by a three-member bench of ICT-2 headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury.
The proceedings will be broadcast live by Bangladesh Television (BTV), subject to the tribunal's permission.
On 14 May, after concluding final arguments from both the prosecution and the defence, the tribunal kept the case under curia advisari vault (CAV), meaning the judgment was reserved for a later date.
The prosecution was represented by prosecutors Faruk Ahmad, Moinul Karim, Abdus Sobhan Tarafdar, and others, while senior lawyer Monsurul Haque Chowdhury led the defence.
The defence presented arguments over nine days, contending that Inu was not a member of parliament during the July Uprising and had no involvement in the killings in Kushtia.
According to the defence, prosecution witnesses also acknowledged that Inu was not present in Kushtia when the killings took place.
The tribunal received the investigation report against Inu on 11 September, 2025. Testimony began on 30 November with 10 prosecution witnesses and two defence witnesses examined during the trial.
On 5 August, 2024, six people- worker Ashraful Islam, Suruj Ali Babu, student Abdullah Al Mustakin, Usama, businessman Bablu Farazi, and employee Yusuf Sheikh were killed when police allegedly opened fire on student protesters and civilians at different locations in Kushtia town. Many others were also injured.
According to the prosecution, the formal charges against Hasanul Haq Inu comprise eight allegations of crimes against humanity linked to the suppression of the July Uprising.
Prosecutors allege that on 18 July 2024, Inu, as president of JSD, a key ally of the then-ruling 14-party alliance, gave an interview to the Mumbai-based Indian television channel Mirror Now, where he described the protesters as BNP, Jamaat, terrorists and communal elements.
The prosecution claims the remarks were intended to delegitimise the movement and incite the use of force against demonstrators.
The prosecution further alleges that on 19 July, 2024, Inu attended a meeting of the 14-party alliance at Ganabhaban chaired by then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
During the meeting, prosecutors claim, a decision was taken to deploy the military nationwide and order security forces to open fire on unarmed participants of the quota reform and Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
Inu is accused of taking part in the decision-making process and of instigating, aiding, and facilitating its implementation.
Prosecutors also allege that on 20 July, 2024, Inu telephoned the superintendent of police in his home district of Kushtia and instructed the officer to identify protesters from photographs, prepare lists of participants and take action against them.
The prosecution further claims that Inu maintained regular communication with Sheikh Hasina throughout the movement and was involved in planning and conspiring to suppress the protests through the use of lethal weapons, deployment of armed groups, helicopter attacks, arrests and torture.
Prosecutors allege that he advised and encouraged such measures.
The charges also state that during an interview with News24 on 17 July, 2024, Inu again labelled protesters as BNP, Jamaat, terrorists, militants and communal forces in an effort to discredit the movement.
He is further accused of endorsing the imposition of curfew and supporting the government's use of lethal force, killings and repression against protesters.
Prosecutors further allege that Inu attended another 14-party alliance meeting chaired by Sheikh Hasina on 29 July, 2024, where he repeated his characterisation of the protesters as BNP, Jamaat, terrorists and communal elements.
He is also accused of proposing a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, which, according to the prosecution, helped legitimise the killings and repression carried out by law enforcement agencies and armed activists of the ruling alliance.
The prosecution also alleges that on 4 August, 2024, Inu endorsed the government's decision to impose a curfew and use live ammunition against protesters.
He is further accused of conspiring with Sheikh Hasina over the phone to implement those measures and directing leaders and activists of his party accordingly.
Finally, prosecutors allege that on 5 August, 2024, acting on a conspiracy and directives involving Sheikh Hasina, Hasanul Haq Inu and former Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbub Ul Alam Hanif, Awami League activists, affiliated organisations and police opened fire on unarmed student protesters and civilians at various locations in Kushtia town.
The prosecution says the shootings killed six people- Ashraful Islam, Suruj Ali Babu, Abdullah Al Mustakin, Md Usama, Bablu Farazi and Yusuf Sheikh.
Hasanul Haq Inu / July uprising / court / verdict
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