Shyamal Dutta, Mozammel Babu and Farzana Rupa produced before ICT in July case

Journalists Shyamal Dutta, Mozammel Babu and Farzana Rupa were produced before the International Crimes Tribunal-2 in a case filed over alleged crimes against humanity during the July uprising.

They were brought before the tribunal in Dhaka on Monday morning (August 24) following a production warrant issued on August 17 at the prosecution's request.

The prosecution alleges that the three journalists made provocative statements and helped promote what it described as a "counter-narrative" against the student-led movement through talk shows and other media programmes during the July-August 2024 protests.

According to the prosecution, their roles in a July 14, 2024 press conference at Ganabhaban, attended by then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina, also came under investigation.

The prosecution claims that protests intensified later that day following remarks made at the press conference regarding the quota movement.

The prosecution further alleges that the three played a role in media campaigns against the student movement between July 14 and August 5.

All three are currently in custody in separate cases. Dutta is a former general secretary of the National Press Club and former editor of Bhorer Kagoj. Babu is the founder and former chief editor of Ekattor Television, while Rupa is a former chief reporter and presenter of the same television channel.

Babu and Rupa have also been shown arrested in a separate crimes-against-humanity case concerning an alleged crackdown on Hefazat-e-Islam supporters in Motijheel's Shapla Chattar and Narayanganj in 2013.

The prosecution had sought their production before the tribunal, claiming that its investigation had found links between the three journalists and the July uprising-related case. After hearing the petition, Tribunal-2 approved it on August 17 and ordered that they be brought before the court on Monday.

The allegations against the three journalists have not been judicially proven, and they remain entitled to due process.