Crimes Against Humanity
Verdict Sunday in Rampura Ledge Shooting Case
File Photo
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 is set to deliver its verdict on Sunday in a case involving the shooting of a young man who was hanging from the ledge of a building in Rampura during the July mass uprising, as well as the killings of two other people in the same area.
The verdict date was set on Saturday by the three-member tribunal led by Justice Golam Mortuza Majumder, Prosecutor Gazi M.H. Tamim confirmed.
The accused are former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Habibur Rahman, former Khilgaon Division Additional Deputy Commissioner Rashedul Islam, former Rampura Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mashiur Rahman, former Sub-Inspector Tariqul Islam Bhuiyan, and former Assistant Sub-Inspector Chanchal Chandra Sarkar.
Among the five accused, Chanchal Chandra is in custody, while the remaining four are fugitives.
The prosecution submitted the charge sheet on Aug. 7 last year. On Sept. 18, the tribunal formally indicted the five accused and ordered the trial to begin.
After closing arguments, the tribunal initially scheduled the verdict for March 4. However, the prosecution later sought permission to submit additional digital evidence, prompting the tribunal to reopen part of the proceedings.
The first witness, Amir Hossain, was recalled to testify. A second round of closing arguments by both the prosecution and defense concluded on June 15.
Following the hearings, the tribunal set June 28 as the tentative date for the verdict.
A total of 13 witnesses, including the investigating officer, testified during the trial. Chief Prosecutor Md. Aminul Islam sought the maximum punishment for all five defendants.
According to the case, Amir Hossain was returning home after Friday prayers on July 19, 2024, during the anti-discrimination student movement when he became caught in clashes near his residence in Rampura.
He said police opened fire, forcing him to seek shelter on the fourth floor of an under-construction building. Police later reached the same floor while pursuing protesters.
Amir testified that officers pointed firearms at him and repeatedly ordered him to jump. One officer allegedly fired several warning shots to intimidate him.
Fearing for his life, Amir jumped and grabbed exposed steel rods on the outside of the building, leaving him suspended from the structure. He alleged that a police officer on the third floor then fired six shots at him, striking both of his legs.
After police left the area, Amir managed to jump onto the third floor despite his injuries. He remained there for nearly three hours before a student and two doctors rescued him and took him to a nearby hospital. He was later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Amir survived the incident. The case also includes allegations that two other people were fatally shot near the same location in Rampura on the same day.
