Charges

These are the three charges against Rashed Khan Menon and Md. Kamrul Islam

Charge No-01

During the Anti-Discrimination Student-Public Movement of July-August 2024, as part of the widespread, systematic and targeted attack against them throughout the country, a meeting of the 14-party alliance was held in the night of 19/07/2024 at Ganabhaban. The meeting was presided over by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in which the decisions to deploy the army and impose a nationwide curfew were taken. Accused Rashed Khan Menon and Md. Kamrul Islam were present in the meeting and they endorsed and executed the said decisions of the meeting.

The accused persons, along with Obaidul Quader, General Secretary of the Awami League and the then Minister of Bridges, apprised the journalists of the decisions at Ganabhaban. The accused persons took decision to shoot the protesters on sight and implemented the same through their party’s armed cadres and law enforcement agencies.

Due to the said decisions, more than 1,400 people were killed and over 25,000 people were critically injured nationwide. This attack on innocent and unarmed protesters was carried out by using drones and by firing with SMG, China rifles and other lethal weapons from helicopters. Furthermore, the bodies of many dead protesters were disappeared, medical treatment for the injured protesters was obstructed and doctors were coerced to change the cause of death of the victims, many of the deceaseds were buried as unidentified burial of some of the dead bodies was impeded and some dead bodies were burnt.

By committing such murders, grievous injury and other inhuman acts to the protesters by ordering and other inhuman acts to the protestors by abetting, facilitating and perpetrating in the said acts and failing to take necessary preventive measures against the perpetrators, the accused persons 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 punishable under Sections 20(2) and 20A of the Act.

Charge No-02

As a part of widespread, systematic and targeted attack upon the protesters, at a public meeting in Keraniganj dated 26.07.2024, the accused Md. Kamrul Islam was present in person and, with the intent to suppress the Anti-Discrimination Student-Public Movement gave instructions, provocation, incitement and assistance to the partymen and law enforcers by labeling the protesters as BNP-Jamaat activists, terrorists and communal and thereupon he legitimized the killings, torture and other inhuman acts carried out by the law enforcement agencies and the armed cadres of the 14-party alliance including Awami League.

On 29/07/2024, at a meeting of the Awami League-led 14-party alliance presided over by Sheikh Hasina, the accused Rashed Khan Menon was present in person and labeled the protesters as BNP-Jamaat-Shibir activists, terrorists and communal to suppress the movement. He played active role in the implementation of the decision to ban Bangladesh Jamaat-Islam and gave instructions, provocation, incitement and assistance to the killing and injuring the unarmed protesters.

These two accuseds contributed in the implementation of Sheikh Hasina’s directives to suppress the student-public movement by shooting and killing protesters with the use of Drones, Helicopters and lethal weapons.

By the said acts 1,400 unarmed protesters were killed and about 25,000 protesters were seriously injured throughout the country.

By the said acts the accused 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 punishable under Sections 20(2) and 20A of the same Act.

Charge No-03

As part of the widespread, systematic and targeted crimes against humanity committed nationwide during the July Mass Uprising, following the imposition of a curfew and ‘shoot-on-sight’ order issued on July 19, 2024, with the provocation, endorsement, abetment and direct involvement of the accused Rashed Khan Menon and Md. Kamrul Islam; the law enforcement agencies and armed Awami cadres used lethal weapons in Badda and adjacent areas of Dhaka Metropolitan City from 20/07/2024 to 05/08/2024 and thereby brutally killed 23 (twenty-three) unarmed protesters including Md. Emon, and critically injured numerous others.

By the foregoing acts and also failing to take necessary measures against the perpetrators, the accused persons 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 punishable under Sections 20(2) and 20A of the same Act.