Summon 10 ex-ministers, 2 advisors of Hasina before court on November 18: ICT

On November 18, the International Criminal Tribunal (ICT) ordered authorities to extradite 20 people, including 10 former ministers and two advisers to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in connection with crimes against humanity and genocide during the July uprising- August

Anisul Huq, Abdur Razzaque, Farooq Khan, Deepu Moni, Shajahan Khan, Gholam Dastagir Ghazi, Kamal Ahmed Majumdar, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Salman F. Rahman, Tufiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Rashed Khan Menon and Hasanul Haq Inu are among the 20 persons .

A three-judge bench headed by its chairman, Dr Justice Gholam Mortuza Majumdar, passed the orders after the prosecution filed two motions for their arrest, BM Sultan Mahmood, ICT prosecutor, told The Daily Star.

The tribunal plans to show the 20 arrested on November 18 as soon as they appear before it on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide, he said.

Meanwhile, the tribunal today issued arrest warrants for 17 officials, including former DMP commissioner Habibur Rahman, in another case on similar charges following a plea filed by the prosecution.

The court ordered the relevant authorities to arrest 17 police officers and bring them to court on November 20.

On October 17, the tribunal issued arrest warrants for Hasina and 45 others, including her son Sajib Wazed Joy and several former members of her cabinet.

The two other members of the tribunal are Justice Shafiul and Justice Mohitul Haq Enam Chowdhury.

According to the health ministry, at least 753 people have been killed and thousands wounded in the uprising, which the ICT prosecution group and the interim government have called crimes against humanity and genocide.

More than 60 complaints of crimes against humanity and genocide have been filed against Hasina and her party leaders with the ICT investigative agency and prosecution team.

In March 2010, the AL government led by Hasina formed the International Criminal Tribunal to try those guilty of crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War.

It later formed ICT-2, and at least six Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP leaders were executed by two tribunals. The tribunal has remained dormant since mid-June after the then chairman of the tribunal resigned.

The interim government reopened the tribunal on October 12 after re-establishing the prosecution team and investigative agency last month.