Charges
These are the charges read out in the Charge Framing order on 21 January 2026. To read the charge framing order, click here
Charge No. 01
Place of Occurrence: Dhaka University and throughout Bangladesh.
Date of Occurrence: From 14/07/2024 to 05/08/2024.
Nature of the Offence: Murder, attempted murder, abetment, conspiracy, complicity, incitement, and failure to prevent, thereby committing crimes against humanity under sections 3(2)(a), (g), (h), 4(1), 4(2), and 4(3) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, which are punishable offences under sections 20(2) and 20A of the same Act.
Description of the Victims: Students and members of the public participating in the anti-discrimination movement, more than 1,400 students and members of the public martyred in the movement, more than 25,000 seriously injured students and members of the public, and all other victims.
Statement of the Allegations:
During the course of the anti-discrimination student–public movement, with the direction, approval and knowledge of the accused Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy, Adviser on Information and Communication Technology to Awami League President and Head of Government Sheikh Hasina, the accused Junaid Ahmed Palak, State Minister in charge of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, on the night of 14/07/2024, that is to say at 12:15 hours on 15/07/2024, posted a status on his verified Facebook account. In that status he stated: [Bengali text omitted] (“At Dhaka University where on 25 March razakars carried out genocide of students and teachers, do they feel no shame in chanting slogans in favour of those razakars, calling themselves children of razakars?”)
In a similar manner, on the same night at 12:54 hours, he provocatively posted an image with a caption opposing the metaphorical use of the slogan ‘razakar’ by the protesting students and members of the public. In the caption of the image he wrote, [Bengali text omitted]
Subsequently, at 01:15 hours, he shared another post with an image. In the caption of the image he wrote, [Bengali text omitted] (“The weapons of ’71, let them roar once again. Those of you who are razakars, leave Bengal this moment.”)
As a result of the aforesaid three provocative Facebook statuses given by the accused Junaid Ahmed Palak under the direction, approval, and with the knowledge of the accused Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy, on the night of 14/07/2024 and on 15/07/2024, police and armed cadre forces of the Awami League including Chhatra League began attacks on peacefully protesting students and members of the public at Dhaka University and throughout the country. As a result, numerous students were injured in the Dhaka University area. Obstruction was caused to the treatment of the injured caused grieviously injured the students who were receiving treatment in hospital. Torture upon innocent, unarmed, peaceful protesters continued until the day of the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on 05 August 2024. During this period, more than 1,400 protesters including Abu Sayeed were killed across the country, and more than 25,000 students and members of the public were grieviously injured, together with the commission of other offences. These acts were committed pursuant to the direction and knowledge of both the accused persons and by the creation of opportunity by them.
The accused Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy and the accused Junaid Ahmed Palak failed to prevent the commission of offences by their subordinates and did not take any punitive measures against the perpetrators of such offences.
By committing the aforesaid offences, the accused Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy and Junaid Ahmed Palak have committed crimes against humanity under sections 3(2)(a), (g), (h), 4(1), 4(2), and 4(3) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, which are punishable offences under sections 20(2) and 20A of the same Act.
Charge No. 02
Place of Occurrence: BTRC Building, Dhaka, within the jurisdictions of Badda, Rampura, Khilgaon, and Hatirjheel Police Stations of Dhaka Metropolitan City, the BSCCPLC office, Dhaka, Cox’s Bazar, Kuakata, and throughout Bangladesh.
Date of Occurrence: From 18/07/2024 to 23/07/2024.
Nature of the Offence: Murder, attempted murder, abetment, conspiracy, complicity, incitement, and failure to prevent, thereby committing crimes against humanity under sections 3(2)(a), (g), (h), 4(1), 4(2), and 4(3) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, which are punishable under sections 20(2) and 20A of the same Act.
Description of the Victims: Students and members of the public participating in the anti-discrimination movement, including the martyrs Russell (32), Imtiaz Ahmed Jabir (20), Tamim Shikder (13), Md. Ifti Abdullah (16), Ashikul Islam (14), Md. Mizanur Rahman (29), Muhammad Jan Sharif (46), Hasib Ahsan (50), Maruf Hossain (21), Hafez Mosle Uddin (38), Md. Golam Rabbani (17), Salauddin Suman (54), Gangacharan Rajbonshi (26), Md. Mamun Mia (26), Ramjan (23), Md. Saiful Islam (26), Md. Babul Hawladar (52), Sagar (23), Sohel Rana (25), Md. Mostafa Zaman Samudra (17), Md. Ismail (45), Md. Rezaul Karim (40), Md. Amir Hossain (18), Sarwar Hossain Shawon (18), Babu Mollah (33), Md. Rakib Hossain (23), Toufiq ul Islam Bhuiyan Paltu (34), Md. Maruf Hossain (19), and many others, who were killed, and a large number of whom were grieviously injured.
Statement of the Allegations
On the orders, instructions, approval, and with the knowledge of Sheikh Hasina and the accused Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy, the accused Junaid Ahmed Palak, in order to suppress the student–public movement, facilitated the execution of instructions to arrest, torture, and kill protesters by using lethal weapons and by disconnecting internal communications among the protesters, identifying them, and applying maximum force against them, first by reducing the speed of mobile internet and subsequently by completely shutting it down. Thereafter, he issued false statements regarding the internet shutdown and, by blocking all forms of internet services including broadband, as well as Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp, and several other applications (including cache servers), assisted in the commission of killings, attempted killings, torture, and other offences throughout the country by concealing from the people of Bangladesh and the world the horrific picture of crimes against humanity committed during the July movement.
The conspiracy and decisions to shut down the internet used to come from the accused Sajeeb Wazed Joy. He, after consulting with his mother Sheikh Hasina, decided to shut down the internet, and the accused Junaid Ahmed Palak implemented the decision. In a conversation with Salman F Rahman on 23/07/2024, Junaid Ahmed Palak stated, “We should clearly convey to the Honourable Prime Minister a message regarding how much mishap may occur, and I am discussing this tomorrow with the Honourable Adviser; he knows all the latest aspects of technology very well, so after knowing this he has spoken to the Honourable Prime Minister. I requested him last night, he spoke. Then he told me that you send the list of what you want to keep blocked for now to make our possible arrangements. I sent the list, he approved eight. Now he has said, you stay ready with all your possible capacities; when mother says signal yes, then open, when she says no, then block, this shutting.”
On the orders, instructions, approval, and with the knowledge of the accused Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy, the Information and Communication Technology Adviser to Sheikh Hasina, the accused Junaid Ahmed Palak, as State Minister in charge of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and as an Awami League leader, acting as one of Sheikh Hasina’s close associates, in order to assist in implementing the instructions for the aforementioned killings, through BTRC shut down mobile internet services from 12:47 hours on the night of 14/07/2024, that is to say 15/07/2024, until 08:00 hours in the morning in the areas of five public universities of the country, and from 18:39 hours on 16/07/2024 in the areas of fifty-five public universities and four private universities of the country. On 28/07/2024, through NTMC, he blocked Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp, and several other applications (including cache servers), and from 19:00 hours on 18/07/2024 he issued instructions to his subordinate BTRC and BSCCPLC authorities to shut down internet services. Pursuant to such instructions, the BTRC authorities instructed ITC (International Terrestrial Cable) operators to shut down their upstream bandwidth, and the BSCCPLC authorities shut down upstream services from their submarine cable landing stations at Cox’s Bazar and Patuakhali. In this manner, by shutting down internet services, mutual communication among the protesting students and members of the public disconnected. They were forced to communicate using mobile SIMs. As a result, their locations and plans were easily identified, and arrests and suppression operations through block raids continued across the country. Police, BGB, armed Jubo League and Chhatra League, and cadres of the fourteen-party alliance used lethal weapons and fired upon the protesting students and members of the public, killing, injuring, torturing, and arresting them in an attempt to eliminate the movement.
In order to obstruct the previously announced march to Dhaka programme of the students and members of the public 05/08/2024, to carry out armed attacks upon them, and to conceal the brutality of the attacks from the world, on the instructions of the accused Junaid Ahmed Palak, BTRC and BSCCPLC again shut down internet services across the country. In doing so, he assisted and was involved in the aforesaid acts of Sheikh Hasina.
During this period, more than 1,400 people were killed across the country, and more than 25,000 people were grieviously injured. These attacks on innocent and unarmed protesters were carried out by identifying protesters through the use of drones, by helicopter operations, and by firing from SMGs, China rifles, and other lethal weapons. Even after death, the bodies of many were disappeared; obstruction was caused to the treatment of the injured; doctors were forced to change causes of death; many of the deceased were buried as unclaimed bodies; obstruction was caused to burials; and even inhuman acts such as burning bodies after killing were committed. In order to prevent the public from knowing about the aforesaid killings and torture, and to facilitate the continuation of such killings and torture, the accused Junaid Ahmed Palak shut down internet services through verbal orders and SMS. As a result, killings and torture were accelerated across the country. These acts constituted crimes against humanity committed on widespread, systematic and targeted manner.
The accused Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy and the accused Junaid Ahmed Palak failed to prevent the commission of offences by their subordinates and did not take any punitive measures against the perpetrators of such offences.
In continuation thereof, as part of the aforesaid crimes against humanity, on the orders, instructions, approval, and with the knowledge of the accused Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy and Junaid Ahmed Palak, by completely shutting down nationwide internet services, concealing from the people of Bangladesh and the world the horrific picture of crimes against humanity committed during the July movement, and by identifying protesters through the use of drones and helicopters, law enforcement forces, namely BGB and police, in the areas of Badda, Rampura, Khilgaon, and Hatirjheel Police Stations of Dhaka Metropolitan City, on 19/07/2024, shot and killed Gangacharan Rajbanshi (56), Russell Mia (32), along with the aforementioned twenty-six persons, and grieviously injured a large number of others. These acts were committed pursuant to the direction and knowledge of the accused persons and by the creation of opportunity by them.
By committing the aforesaid offences, the accused Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy and Junaid Ahmed Palak have committed crimes against humanity under sections 3(2)(a), (g), (h), 4(1), 4(2), and 4(3) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, which are punishable offences under sections 20(2) and 20A of the same Act.
Charge No. 03
Place of Occurrence: BTRC Building, Dhaka, within the Uttara area (Uttara East and West Police Station areas) of Dhaka Metropolitan City, the BSCCPLC office, Dhaka, Cox’s Bazar, Kuakata, and throughout Bangladesh.
Date of Occurrence: On 05/08/2024.
Nature of the Offence: Murder, attempted murder, abetment, conspiracy, complicity, incitement, and failure to prevent, thereby committing crimes against humanity under sections 3(2)(a), (g), (h), 4(1), 4(2), and 4(3) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, which are punishable offences under sections 20(2) and 20A of the same Act.
Description of the Victims: Students and members of the Public participating in the Anti-discrimination movement in the course of the said movement, within the jurisdiction of Uttara East Police Station and Uttara West Police Station areas, were subjected to brutal and unlawful acts of violence, resulting in the killing of martyred child Jabir Ibrahim (06), Md. Samaul Aman Noor (13), and 1. Md. Saiful Islam, 2. Md. Redwan Islam, 3. Martyred Jasim Moya, 4. Sabid Hossain, 5. Abdul Kadir Manik (45), 6. Alamgir Hossain (25), 7. Ameer Hossain (36), 8. Mahmudul Hasan, 9. Md. Lovlu Mia, 10. Md. Masum Sheikh, 11. Md. Rabiul Islam, 12. Md. Najmul Islam, 13. Sagar Gazi, 14. Saiful Islam, 15. Md. Ziaur Rahman, 16. Nazim Uddin, 17. Omar Nurul Absar, 18. Samid Hossain, 19. Shahidul Alam, 20. Sujon Mia, 21. Shakhawat Hossain Sadat, 22. Md. Ahid Mia, 23. Md. Fazlul Karim, 24. Md. Ripon Mia, 25. Akash, 26. Md. A. Aziz, 27. Sanzid Hossain Mridha, 28. Abdul Bin Jahid, 29. Md. Jasim, 30. Rana Talukder, 31. Md. Arafat Hossain, 32. Zahirul Islam Shuvo, along with many others, and further causing grievous injuries to a large number of persons.
Statement of the Allegations:
In continuation thereof, as part of the aforesaid crimes against humanity, on the orders, instructions, approval, and with the knowledge of the accused Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy and Junaid Ahmed Palak, by completely shutting down nationwide internet services, concealing from the people of Bangladesh and the world the horrific picture of crimes against humanity committed during the July movement, identifying protesters through the use of drones and helicopters, and killing people using lethal weapons, yet failing to stop the movement, and in a desperate attempt to keep the Awami government of Sheikh Hasina in power and to prevent the March to Dhaka programme, in the Uttara area of Dhaka on 05/08/2024, the accused Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy and Junaid Ahmed Palak, through law enforcement forces under their control and armed Awami cadres, shot and killed the child Jabir Ibrahim (06), Samaul Aman Noor, along with the aforementioned thirty-two persons, and grieviously injured a large number of others. These acts were committed pursuant to the direction and knowledge of the accused persons and by the creation of opportunity by them.
By committing the aforesaid offences, the accused Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy and Junaid Ahmed Palak have committed crimes against humanity under sections 3(2)(a), (g), (h), 4(1), 4(2), and 4(3) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, which are punishable offences under sections 20(2) and 20A of the same Act.