The prosecution on Thursday filed a petition with the International Crimes Tribunal-1 seeking permission to show former Ekattor Television managing director and journalist Mozammel Haq Babu, the channel’s former chief reporter Farzana Rupa, and former foreign minister Dipu Moni arrested in a crimes against humanity case.
The case is linked to the attack on and killings of Hefazat-e-Islam activists at Shapla Chattar in the capital’s Matijheel area in May 5–6, 2013.
The tribunal, headed by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, directed the jail authorities to produce Babu, Rupa and Dipu Moni before the tribunal on May 14 for a hearing on the petition filed by the chief prosecutor in their presence.
The chief prosecutor on May 5 said that investigators had confirmed the identities of 58 people killed during the May 2013 crackdown on Hefazat-e-Islam activists.
Of them, 32 were killed in Dhaka, mostly at Shapla Chattar, he said, adding that 20 more were killed in Narayanganj on May 6, while five were killed in Chattogram and one in Cumilla on the same day.
The tribunal has fixed June 7 for the submission of the probe report in the case.
Six people have already been arrested in the case and are now in jail. They are former state minister for home affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku, retired major general Ziaul Ahsan, former inspector general of police AKM Shahidul Haque, former deputy inspector general Molla Nazrul Islam, Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee advisory council president Shahriar Kabir, and former deputy inspector general of police Abdul Jalil Mondal.
Chief prosecutor Md Aminul Islam later told reporters that a ‘misleading’ investigative report titled Samikaran, aired on Ekattor Television shortly after the May 5, 2013 crackdown at Shapla Chattar, was aimed at diverting public attention from the killings.
He said that the report attempted to create the impression that no casualties had occurred during the operation against Hefazat-e-Islam activists at Shapla Chattar.
He added that the investigation had uncovered new information, including the involvement of Farzana Rupa, who prepared the report, and journalist Mozammel Haq Babu. The report also contained an interview with the then foreign minister Dipu Moni.
According to the chief prosecutor, the report was broadcast immediately after the incident, which had triggered nationwide concern and controversy.
He alleged that the report used statements from ‘controversial individuals’ and spread misleading information to divert attention from the actual events at Shapla Chattar.
‘Their role was significant in concealing the real facts about Shapla Chattar,’ he said, alleging that efforts were also made to hide information about deaths during the operation.
He further claimed that the actions of Mozammel Babu and Farzana Rupa were part of a ‘systematic attack’ carried out in a ‘planned and coordinated manner’.
He said that the prosecution had sought production warrants for Farzana Rupa, Mozammel Babu and Dipu Moni for questioning in the interest of the investigation.
The chief prosecutor added that they could be made accused in the case if evidence of their involvement is found during the investigation.
Mozammel Babu, Farzana Rupa and Dipu Moni are currently in jail in multiple cases, including those filed over murders during the 2024 mass uprising.
The prosecution’s prayer to show the trio arrested in the case came after the High Court on May 5 rejected Mozammel’s bail petition in an extortion case filed by Boishakhi Television shareholder Humayun Kabir on January 11, 2025 over alleged extortion committed in 2007.
Mozammel is now facing five cases, including four linked to killings during the July–August 2024 uprising. All the cases are under investigation.
Mozammel was arrested on September 17, 2024 while allegedly attempting to cross into India through the Dhobaura border in Mymensingh.
The same High Court bench is scheduled to pass orders on May 11 on bail petitions filed by former Ekattor TV news chief Shakil Ahmed and former chief reporter Farzana Rupa.
Shakil and Rupa were arrested on August 21, 2024 at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka and were later shown arrested in a murder case filed over the death of a person in Uttara during the anti-discrimination student movement.
Dipu Moni was arrested at Baridhara in Dhaka on August 19, 2024. She was later shown arrested in connection with a crimes against humanity complaint over the July mass uprising.
