Inu sentenced to 10 years in prison for crimes against humanity

The International Crimes Tribunal has sentenced Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASAD) President Hasanul Haq Inu to 10 years in prison after convicting him in a crimes against humanity case involving eight charges, including the killing of six people in Kushtia during the July mass uprising. Inu was present in the dock when the verdict was delivered.

The ruling was announced at around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday (June 30) by a three-member bench of International Crimes Tribunal-2, headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury. The other members of the panel were Justice Md. Manjurul Bashid and Justice Noor Mohammad Shahriar Kabir.

Inu faced a total of eight charges. The tribunal sentenced him to 10 years' imprisonment under Charge No. 3. It also ordered him to pay compensation of Tk100,000 each under Charges 6 and 7, totaling Tk200,000, while imposing separate 10-year prison terms for each of those charges. However, he was acquitted of Charges 1, 2, 4, 5, and 8. Although separate sentences were awarded, the tribunal ruled that he would serve a total of 10 years in prison.

Present in court were Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam, Prosecutors Mizanul Islam, Gazi M.H. Tamim, Faruk Ahmad, Abdus Sattar Palowan, and other members of the prosecution team.

At 1:42 p.m., Inu, the sole accused in the case, was brought from the detention cell to the dock inside the tribunal courtroom. About 10 minutes later, the tribunal began reading its 211-page judgment. Justice Noor Mohammad Shahriar Kabir read the eight charges brought against Inu, while Justice Md. Manjurul Bashid summarized witness testimonies and key evidence. Tribunal Chairman Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury formally announced the verdict at around 2:30 p.m. The entire proceedings were broadcast live on Bangladesh Television.

According to the prosecution, the investigation against Hasanul Haq Inu began on March 25, 2025, by the Investigation Agency of the International Crimes Tribunal. After completing its inquiry, the agency submitted its report to the Chief Prosecutor on September 11, 2025. Following a review of the report, the prosecution filed formal charges before the tribunal on September 25. On the same day, Tribunal-2 took cognizance of the case and issued an arrest warrant against Inu. After lengthy hearings involving both the prosecution and the defence, the tribunal framed eight specific charges on November 2 and ordered the trial to begin.

The prosecution delivered its opening statement on November 30 last year, and witness testimony began on December 1. A total of 10 prosecution witnesses, including the investigating officer, testified against the JASAD leader, while the defence produced two witnesses. Following the completion of testimony, closing arguments began on April 2 this year. The defence presented its arguments first, followed by the prosecution. The hearings concluded on May 14, when the tribunal reserved its verdict. On June 22, the tribunal fixed June 30 for delivering the judgment.

A total of 10 witnesses testified during the trial, including three eyewitnesses, two expert witnesses, one member of a victim's family, two seizure-list witnesses, one district witness, and the investigating officer. The prosecution also submitted 20 series of documentary exhibits and five material exhibits.

According to the charges filed by the prosecution, on July 18, 2024, Hasanul Haq Inu gave an interview to the Mumbai-based news outlet *Mirror Now*, in which he described the protesters as members of the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and terrorists, and allegedly encouraged the use of maximum force against them. The prosecution alleged that he also attended a meeting chaired by then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban on July 19, where leaders of the 14-party alliance discussed measures to suppress the protests. It further alleged that Inu played a role in implementing the "shoot-at-sight" directive against unarmed students and civilians.

The prosecution further alleged that on July 20, Inu telephoned the Superintendent of Police in his home district of Kushtia, instructing the officer to identify protesters from photographs and take action against them. Acting on those instructions, police and armed members of the 14-party alliance allegedly opened fire on protesters at various locations in Kushtia until August 5, 2024. According to the prosecution, six people were killed in the shootings: labourer Ashraful Islam, Suruj Ali Babu, student Abdullah Al Mustakin, Osama, businessman Bablu Farazi, and employee Yusuf Sheikh. Many other civilians were also injured.

The prosecution also alleged that Inu advised Sheikh Hasina throughout the July movement by encouraging the use of lethal weapons, deploying the Chhatra Sena, using helicopters to fire on protesters, carrying out bomb attacks, and planning arrests and torture. It claimed that he supported the imposition of curfew and the use of deadly force to carry out killings and repression. The prosecution further alleged that Inu attended another 14-party alliance meeting chaired by Sheikh Hasina on July 29, where he proposed banning Jamaat-e-Islami, thereby legitimising the actions of law enforcement agencies and armed alliance members. Finally, prosecutors alleged that on August 4, one day before the fall of the Awami League government, Inu endorsed Sheikh Hasina's decision to impose curfew and use live ammunition against protesting students and civilians.