International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has issued arrest warrants against Sheikh Hasina and eight others in connection with the alleged massacre of Hefazat-e-Islam supporters at Shapla Chattar in Dhaka’s Motijheel on 5 May 2013.
The tribunal passed the order on Wednesday (12 March).
Among those named in the warrant are former home minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Ganajagaran Mancha spokesperson Imran H Sarker, and former IGPs Hasan Mahmud Khandaker and Benazir Ahmed.
Additionally, as several accused individuals—including former state minister Shamsul Haque Tuku, former IGP Shahidul Haque, ex-military officer Ziaul Ahsan, and former police officer Molla Nazrul Islam—are already in custody for other cases, the court has directed that they be shown as arrested in this case as well.
The tribunal has also set 12 May as the deadline for the submission of the investigation report.
Earlier, on 27 November last year, Hefazat-e-Islam filed charges with the tribunal against 50 individuals, including Sheikh Hasina, in connection with the 2013 crackdown.
The accused list includes several prominent political figures, former ministers, law enforcement officials, media executives, and civil society representatives.
Among them are Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, former ministers Rashed Khan Menon and Hasan Mahmud, former Dhaka South City Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, ex-MP Haji Selim, former Prime Minister’s advisor Salman F Rahman, and former Narayanganj MP Shamim Osman.
The case alleges that on the night of 5 May 2013, Hefazat-e-Islam activists, who had been demonstrating at Shapla Chattar demanding the fulfilment of their 13-point charter, were subjected to a coordinated assault.
According to the complainants, the accused individuals conspired to cut off electricity supply to the area around 11pm, following which law enforcement agencies launched an operation that resulted in the indiscriminate killing of madrasa students and bystanders.
The complaint further alleges that the bodies were clandestinely removed using city corporation vehicles, and when families of the victims attempted to file police cases, their complaints were not accepted.
The 2013 crackdown on Hefazat remains a deeply contentious event in Bangladesh’s recent history, with conflicting narratives over the scale of casualties and the circumstances of the operation.
The tribunal’s order marks a significant legal development in revisiting the allegations surrounding that night.
