Complaint of genocide against 52 people, over half of them journalists

A complaint has been filed with the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) against 52 individuals on charge of committing crimes against humanity and genocide during the student movement.

Among them, more than half are journalists and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Lawyer Gazi H Tamim filed the complaint on behalf of Md Golam Razzak, father of Nasif Hasan Riyad, 17, who was shot dead during the protest, with the investigation agency of the ICT on Thursday.

The lawyer said that the 32 senior journalists are named of inciting the massacre by meeting with the then prime minister on August 3 and encouraging the continuation of the killings.

The journalists in the complaint include --Masuda Bhatti, Ajay Das, Nijhoom Majumder, Nayeemul Islam Khan, Shyamal Dutta, Naem Nizam, Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Farida Yasmin, Mozammel Babu, Nobonita Chowdhury, Subhash Singha Roy, Tushar Abdullah, Probhash Amin, Zahedul Ahsan Pintu, Monjurul Islam, Soma Islam, Mithila Farzana, Shakil Ahmed, Farzana Rupa, Munni Saha, Ashish Saikat, Manash Ghosh, Shyamal Sarkar, Pranab Saha, Swadesh Roy, JE Mamun among others.

Other accused in the complaint are -- former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former home minister Asadduzzaman Khan Kamal, former law minister Anisul Huq, former foreign minister Hasan Mahmud, former information minister Hasanul Haque Inu, former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, former state minister for posts, telecommunications and information technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak, former state minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat, former textile and jute minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, former Dhaka North City Corporation mayor Atiqul Islam, former inspector general of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, former DB chief Harun Or Rashid, former DMP commissioner Habibur Rahman, former director general of RAB Harun Or Rashid, former joint commissioner of DMP Biplob Kumar Sarkar.

The complaint alleges that former prime minister Sheikh Hasina made provocative statements during a press conference on July 14, ordering action against the protesters. She instructed law enforcement agencies and leaders of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations to suppress the movement.

These instructions were published in national and international media, leading to widespread violence, the complaint alleges.

Several journalists at the press conference allegedly encouraged Sheikh Hasina with provocative questions, labeling the protesting students as "collaborators" and "terrorists".  The complaint states that their questioning incited further aggression against the students.

Meanwhile, a total of 78 cases have been, so far, filed against Hasina related to the protests, including 65 on murder charges, nine on allegations of crimes against humanity and genocide, three on charges of abduction, and two for other charges.

NY