Formal charges have been submitted in the Chankharpul massacre case, in which six people were killed during the July-August mass uprising.

The prosecution filed the charges with the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Sunday. A hearing will now be held to determine whether the charges will be accepted.

Earlier in the day, around 10:30 am, four of the accused were produced before the tribunal.

Confirming the development, Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim said the submission of formal charges marks a significant step forward in the tribunal`s proceedings. He noted that this is the first case related to the July uprising to reach the stage of formal charge submission.

On April 22, the ICT, led by Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mojumder and comprising Justices Md Shafiqul Alam Mahmud and Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury, set May 25 as the date for filing formal charges.

During the April 22 hearing, Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam informed the tribunal that the investigation agency had finalised its report on April 20 and submitted it to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office. He sought four weeks to file the formal charges.

The tribunal granted the request and scheduled May 25 for the submission. The investigation report named eight individuals as accused, all of whom are former members of the police force.

This marks the first case related to the July–August uprising in which the tribunal`s investigation agency has completed and submitted a final report on charges including murder, mass killing, and other crimes against humanity.

The eight accused are: former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Habibur Rahman; former Joint Commissioner Sudip Kumar Chakraborty; former Additional Deputy Commissioner of Ramna Zone Shah Alam Md Akhtarul Islam; former Assistant Commissioner of Ramna Zone Mohammad Imrul; former Shahbagh Police Station Inspector Md Arshad Hossain; and constables Md Sujon Hossain, Imaj Hossain, and Md Nasirul Islam. Of these, the last four are currently in custody, while the others remain at large.

The four accused in custody were produced before the tribunal on April 22.

According to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office, it took the investigation agency six months and 13 days to complete the probe. The final report is 90 pages long and includes statements from 79 witnesses. As evidence, it contains 19 videos, two audio recordings, 11 newspaper reports, and six death certificates.

Additionally, a fact-finding report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the July massacre has been annexed to the investigation report.

According to the summary of the report, during the uprising, the accused used lethal force against unarmed and peaceful protesters in the Chankharpul area. As a result, Shahriar Khan Anas, Sheikh Mahdi Hasan Zunaid, Md Yakub, Md Rakib Howlader, Md Ismamul Haque, and Manik Mia were shot dead.

The report concludes that the actions of the accused—including the absconding former DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman—constitute crimes against humanity, based on preliminary findings.