Parents await ICT verdict over Chankharpul killing of six people

Yaqub was shot dead by police in Dhaka's Chankharpul area during the mass uprising of July 2024. Having previously lost her husband, Rahima Akhter relied on her son, Yaqub, as her sole source of emotional support and financial stability.

Since his death, Rahima says she has lived in profound grief, waiting for the day justice would finally be served.

She arrived at the tribunal premises this morning, hopeful that today’s verdict would mark a significant step towards accountability.The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) is set to deliver its verdict today in a crimes against humanity case over the killing of six people, including Yaqub, during the anti-discrimination student movement at Chankharpul.

Like Rahima, several other parents who lost children during the violence gathered at the tribunal. Among them was Sanjida Khan Dipti, the mother of Shahriar Khan Anas.

“We want the maximum penalty for all the accused,” she told reporters at the scene.

Shahriar’s parents -- his father, Shahriar Khan Palash, and mother, Sanjida Khan Dipti -- previously provided depositions against the eight defendants. Accompanied by family members, they reached the tribunal at approximately 10:30am.

Speaking on the tribunal grounds, Rahima expressed her hope that the verdict would ensure justice not only for her son but for all victims of the July movement.

“We expect justice so that no one dares to commit such crimes in the future,” she said.

The three-member bench of the ICT-1, led by Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, is scheduled to deliver the verdict today.

In anticipation of the ruling, a heavy security presence, comprising the Army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) has been deployed across the tribunal premises.