Ex-IGP, 2 others sued for ‘killing 9 youths’ in 'anti-militant drive' in Kalyanpur
A misc-case has been registered with the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) regarding the alleged killing of nine Islamic-minded youths framing them as militants in the ‘Jahajbari’ incident in the capital's Kalyanpur back in 2016.
Former inspector general of police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque, former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia, former DMP deputy commissioner (DC) Md Jasim Uddin Molla have been sent to prison after being shown arrested in the case.
A three-member tribunal headed by ICT chairman Justice Golam Mortuza passed the order today, Monday. The other two members of the tribunal were Justice Shafiul Alam Mahmud and district and session judge (retired) Md Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury.
Earlier, the tribunal ordered two present the three former top police officials before the court. Following that, they were presented in the court today. Later, the tribunal ordered to show them arrested and sent them to prison.
Chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam informed the tribunal that the former police officials staged the incident to consolidate ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s regime. The next hearing in the case will be held on 7 May.
Speaking to the newspersons following the hearing, chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam said the SWAT and CTTC Unit of the police kept nine youths in confinement at a house named ‘Jahajbari’ in Kalyanpur and later killed them inside the house in an staged anti-militant drive. The law enforcement agencies presented them as militants before the media.
The chief prosecutor further said the investigation agency of the tribunal has found that those nine youths were arrested long before the incident from different places across the country. Some of them had been in custody of the detective branch (DB) of police for over two to three months. From there, they all were taken to that house first. Later, top police officials appeared at the scene calling it a block raid and killed those youths later in the night and publicised it as an anti-militant drive.
He further said these staged anti-militant drives turned into a regular phenomenon at the time. They framed Islamic-minded people as militants and killed them to breed a culture of fear, he added.