The International Crimes Tribunal will announce its verdict in a case over crimes against humanity during the July Uprising against seven top leaders of the banned Awami League, including the party’s General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday.

On Monday, a three-member panel led by International Crimes Tribunal-2 Chairman Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury set the verdict date.

State-appointed lawyers M Hasan Imam and Ishrat Jahan represented the accused, while prosecutors Mizanul Islam and Gazi MH Tamim represented the state, according to a bdnews24.com report.

Besides Quader, the other defendants are Awami League Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, former state minister for information and broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat, Jubo League President Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash and General Secretary Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil, and banned Chhatra League President Saddam Hossain and General Secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Enan.

All seven accused are absconding.

Prosecutors allege that the defendants acted in concert during July and August to issue directives, incite supporters and make provocative statements in an effort to suppress the movement.

They are accused of calling on party leaders and activists to take to the streets and mount resistance, as well as planning violence at a series of meetings.

The prosecution also alleges that the defendants were involved in armed attacks, harsh repression and attempts to control the media in some instances.

It says their actions led to killings, attempted killings and widespread violence across the country, amounting to crimes against humanity.

Prosecutor Tamim said in his arguments that Quader had told party leaders and activists at various rallies to “build resistance ward by ward” against the protesters.

Citing Obaidul Quader’s conversation with Saddam, he said that Saddam had asked him whether they were ready if a decision was made to confront the movement as an organisation. Political decisions on confronting the movement have been highlighted at the tribunal through this conversation and different newspaper reports.

Regarding the common charge against the seven accused, Prosecutor Tamim said: “Obaidul Quader, as the general secretary of the Awami League, and the other accused, who were the president and secretary of the Jubo League, the president and secretary of the Chhatra League, and influential leaders of the Awami League, took political decisions to suppress this movement and killed, tortured, and committed crimes against humanity in the July Mass Uprising through attacks by their subordinates or armed cadres of the Awami League, Jubo League, and Chhatra League under their control.”

On August 12, Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam concluded his arguments for the state.

He claimed that all the charges brought against the accused were “proven” and sought the severest and most exemplary punishment for them.

On the other hand, state-appointed lawyers represented the defence. Presenting arguments for the suspects, they said the “shoot on sight” order was given to protect people's lives and property. They claimed their clients were not in any “command position” and did not order anyone to be killed.

Lawyer Ishrat Jahan, representing the four Chhatra League and Jubo League leaders, argued that her clients had not been named in connection with efforts to suppress protests at Dhaka University and had failed to control activists under them.

Asked by the tribunal whether any action had been taken against those responsible for disorder, she said the unrest from the beginning of July to August 4 had left no opportunity to do so.

She also pointed to the absence of female witnesses and argued that video evidence did not show the defendants carrying sticks or other weapons.

She sought acquittal for all four.

The formal trial began with the prosecution’s opening statement on February 17.

MA Razzak, father of Asif Iqbal, who was killed during the uprising, testified as the first witness.

A total of 29 prosecution witnesses, including the investigating officer, testified before the tribunal.

The initial round of testimony ended on April 27.

At the prosecution’s request, journalist Ashraf Kaiser gave additional testimony on Jul 26.

The evidence stage concluded on Aug 2 after the investigating officer was recalled for further examination.

Arguments ended on Aug 17, after which the three-member Tribunal-2, headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, kept the case awaiting a verdict.