ICT sends Latif Siddiqui to jail in Shapla Chattar case

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has ordered the imprisonment of former minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui after showing him arrested in a crimes against humanity case over the alleged killings during the May 5, 2013 Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Motijheel's Shapla Chattar.

A three-member tribunal headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury passed the order on Thursday (July 30) after hearing a prosecution petition.

Piror to the development, Latif Siddiqui was produced before the tribunal around 1:00pm.

According to the prosecution, an arrest warrant had already been issued against the former minister in the case. Acting on that warrant, the Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Branch (DB) arrested him from his residence in Gulshan on Wednesday evening.

On July 27, the tribunal took cognisance of the formal charges filed by the prosecution and issued arrest warrants against 31 accused, including ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The tribunal also directed that 10 accused be produced before the court and fixed August 16 for the next hearing.

Several high-profile accused in the case are already behind bars, including former minister Dr. Dipu Moni, former state minister for home Shamsul Haque Tuku, retired Major General Ziaul Ahsan, former Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Haque, writer Shahriar Kabir, former DIG Abdul Jalil Mondal, journalist Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Babu.

Former minister Hasanul Haq Inu is currently serving a sentence in another case, while Abdur Razzaq also remains in custody.

The prosecution has brought two counts of crimes against humanity in the case.

The charges include the alleged killing of 32 people, including Abu Bakar Siddique, during the May 5 operation at Shapla Chattar, and the alleged killing of 20 people, including Sadek Mia, in Siddhirganj, Narayanganj, on May 6, 2013.

The formal complaint also includes allegations of indiscriminate shootings, murder, attempted murder, torture and persecution based on political and religious identity in different parts of the country, which the prosecution says constitute crimes against humanity.