War Crimes Tribunal Accepts Charges Against Joy and Palak
The International Crimes Tribunal has accepted formal charges against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and former State Minister for ICT, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, in a case accusing them of crimes against humanity over an alleged genocide linked to the internet shutdown during the anti-discrimination student movement in July–August. The tribunal has also issued an arrest warrant against Joy.
The order was delivered on Thursday, 4 December, by the International Crimes Tribunal-1, led by Chairman Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Majumder, after hearing the prosecution’s petition. The next hearing has been scheduled for 10 December.
Prosecutor Gazi M.H. Tamim represented the prosecution during the hearing. He sought an arrest warrant for the fugitive accused, which the court granted.
Earlier, on the evening of 3 December, Prosecutor Tamim stated that the investigation report had been received. Following this, the prosecution submitted formal charges against Joy and Palak for alleged genocide committed through the internet shutdown. Before that, in the early hours of 8 October, an aggrieved individual filed the case under the Cyber Security Act at the capital’s Kafrul Police Station, accusing 19 people.
The case also includes allegations of embezzlement involving the sale of citizens’ data worth nearly Tk 20,000 crore. It accuses Joy and Palak of leaking and selling National Identity Card (NID) information to around 182 entities inside and outside Bangladesh. Former state minister Palak is currently in prison.
DBTech/BT/EK/OR
