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DHAKA, Dec 14, 2025 (BSS) - The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 today set December 18 for passing its order on charge framing against 13 people, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, in a case filed over enforced disappearances and torture at the Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC) during the previous Awami League government.

Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mazumder, chairman of the three-member panel of ICT-1, set the new date.

Earlier on December 9, the first tribunal had set December 14 (today) for passing the indictment order. It had set the date after the prosecution and defence concluded their hearings on the matter. 

Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam argued in favour of framing charges against the accused, while defence lawyers sought their discharge.

The prosecution has pressed five specific charges of enforced disappearance and torture against the 13 accused. Three of them - Sheikh Md Sarwar Hossain, Md Mahbubur Rahman Siddiqui and Ahmed Tanvir Mazhar Siddiqui - were produced before the tribunal during today's proceedings.

Earlier on October 8, the tribunal took cognisance of charges against 30 people, including Sheikh Hasina, in two separate cases over enforced disappearances and torture allegedly carried out at the Taskforce for Interrogation (TFI) Cell and the JIC during the Awami League's rule.

In the JIC case, the accused include Sheikh Hasina; her former security and defence adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddique; and Md Akbar Hossain, Md Saiful Abedin, Md Saiful Alam, Md Tabrej Shams Chowdhury, Hamidul Haque, Mohammad Touhidul Islam, Sheikh Md Sarwar Hossain, Kabir Ahammed, Md Mahbubur Rahman Siddiqui, Ahmed Tanvir Mazhar Siddiqui and Mokhchurul Haque.

The prosecution has also brought another five charges against 17 people, including Sheikh Hasina and Tarique Ahmed Siddique, over similar crimes allegedly committed at the TFI Cell.

The other accused in that case are Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Benazir Ahmed, M Khurshid Hossain, Barrister Md Harun Ur Rashid, Anwar Latif Khan, Md Jahangir Alam, Tofayel Mostafa Sarwar, KM Azad, Md Qamrul Hasan, Md Mahabub Alam, Abdullah Al Momen, Md Sarwar Bin Qashem, Md Khairul Islam, Md Moshiur Rahman Jewel and Saiful Islam Suman.