The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Sunday sentenced three former police officers, including former Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Habibur Rahman, to death in a case filed over crimes against humanity committed in the capital’s Rampura area during the July 2024 mass uprising, where two people were killed and two others were injured.
The three-member bench of the ICT-1, chaired by Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, also awarded life imprisonment to another former police officer and 20 years in prison to another one.
The two other condemned convicts are former Assistant Deputy Commissioner of DMP Rashedul Islam and former Officer-in-Charge of Rampura Police Station Mashiur Rahman.
Former Sub-Inspector Tarikul Islam Bhuiyan received life imprisonment and ex-Assistant SI Chanchal Chandra Sarkar was given 20 years' imprisonment.
It is the fifth judgement delivered by the reconstituted International Crimes Tribunal.
A total of 13 witnesses, including the investigation officer, testified in the case. On June 15, both the prosecution and defence concluded the second round of closing arguments.
On that day, defence counsel Sarwar Jahan Nippon argued on behalf of former ASI Chanchal Chandra of Rampura Police Outpost, claiming that his client had no involvement in the incident.
Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam, however, sought the maximum punishment for all five accused.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the tribunal fixed June 28 for pronouncing the verdict.
Of the five convicts, only Chanchal Chandra is in custody, while the other four remain fugitives.
The verdict had initially been scheduled for March 4 this year but was deferred after the prosecution sought permission to submit additional digital evidence.
The tribunal formally indicted the five accused on September 18 last year, paving the way for the trial.
The prosecution had submitted the formal charges on August 7.
