Staff Correspondent

Trial regarding genocide and crime against humanity committed in July-August to quell the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement begins on Thursday in the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).

Advocate Mohammad Tajul Islam, Chief Prosecutor of the ICT told media after paying a courtesy call on the newly appointed chairman and its two members at the tribunal building here.

Islam informed the media that a reception would be accorded to the chairman and two members of the tribunal tomorrow.

The government on October 14 constituted the three-member tribunal headed by Additional Judge of the High Court Md Golam Mostafa Majumder.

The other members of the tribunal are - Additional Judge of the High Court Md Shafiul Alam Mahmud and Retired District and Sessions Judge Md Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury. A gazette notification was issued on Monday to this end.

Earlier on September 5, Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court Md Tajul Islam was appointed as the Chief Prosecutor of the ICT.

Five other prosecutors are - Md Mizanul Islam, Gazi Monwarul Hussain Tamim, B M Sultan Mahmud and Abdullah Al Noman and Md Saimum Reza Talukder.

Besides, a 10-member investigative team headed by former Additional Deputy Inspector General (Additional-DIG) of Police Md Mazaharul Haque, was also constituted to investigate the allegations submitted to the ICT.

More than 50 allegations of mass killing and crime against humanity-committed from July 5 to August 5-have been submitted before the investigative team and prosecution team of the ICT so far.

Former Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina fled the country on August 5 in the wake of students led mass upsurge. Later, Nobel laureate economist Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus took over as the chief of the interim government.

A total of 1500 students and people embraced martyrdom allegedly by the members of law and order enforcement agencies and Awami league cadres during the 36-day long anti-discriminatory students’ movement.

Over 500 people have been crippled when members of the law enforcement agencies and Awami League cadres opened fire on the agitating people. A total of 23,000 people were also injured at that time, many of them are also undergoing treatment at different health facilities.