Palak sings national anthem in prison van

During the July uprising, 16 individuals including former ministers and state ministers facing cases over crimes against humanity were produced before the International Crimes Tribunal. After 2pm on Monday, December 8, as they were being taken back to prison from the tribunal in a prison van, former state minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak stood inside the van and began singing the national anthem. Several others joined him.

A hearing on the progress of the case was held that day before Tribunal-1, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mojumder.

During the hearing, the prosecution sought exemption for four of the 45 accused including former bridges minister Obaidul Quader, as separate formal charges had already been filed against Salman F Rahman, Anisul Haque, Hasanul Haque Inu and Palak. Testimonies are ongoing in the cases involving Inu and Hanif. The prosecution therefore requested removing their names from this case. The tribunal later excluded the four names from the case and scheduled February 9 for the next hearing.

Earlier at around 9.45am, police brought the 16 accused to the tribunal from Keraniganj, Kashimpur and other prisons under tight security.

Those produced were former law minister Anisul Haque, former education minister Dr Dipu Moni, former ICT state minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak, former textiles and jute minister Golam Dastagir Gazi, former industries minister Amir Hossain Amu, former food minister Kamrul Islam, former agriculture minister Abdur Razzaq, former shipping minister Shajahan Khan, Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon, JASAD president and former information minister Hasanul Haque Inu, former justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik, former home secretary Jahangir Alam, former MP Sulaiman Selim, former adviser to the prime minister Tawfiq-E-Elahi Chowdhury, former adviser on private industry and investment to Sheikh Hasina Salman F Rahman and former state minister Kamal Ahmed Mojumder. Former MP Faruk Khan was absent due to illness.