Inu sentenced to 10 years in prison for crimes against humanity

Special Correspondent

June 30, 2026.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 has sentenced Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) president and former minister Hasanul Haque Inu to 10 years in prison in a case filed against him for crimes against humanity committed during the July Uprising. A three-member judicial panel led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury announced the verdict on Tuesday (June 30) afternoon. The other two members of the tribunal are Judge Md. Manjurul Bashid and Judge Nur Mohammad Shahriar Kabir.

On August 5, 2024, during the July 1994 uprising, shots were fired at students and the public at various places in Kushtia city, killing workers Ashraful Islam, Suruj Ali Babu, students Abdullah Al Mustaqin, Usama, businessman Bablu Farazi, and employee Yusuf Sheikh. The prosecution filed a case against Inu on a total of eight charges, including the murder of these six people. The charges include conspiring with Sheikh Hasina to aid and abet the repression, preparing a list of protesters and ordering their detention and torture, and planning to use deadly weapons to suppress the movement and drop bombs from helicopters by landing troops.

According to the prosecution, at a meeting of the 14-party alliance held at Ganabhaban on July 19, 2024, chaired by then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, where Inu was present, it was decided to take strict measures to suppress the movement and shoot innocent protesters at sight. Inu is accused of direct involvement, instigation and incitement from a higher position in the making and implementation of this decision.

The prosecution filed a 39-page formal charge sheet against Inu, who was arrested from Uttara in the capital on August 26, 2024, on September 25 last year, with 1,679 pages of documents attached to it. The tribunal ordered the trial to begin on November 2, taking the charges into consideration, and the formal trial began with the opening statement on November 30. During the trial, 10 witnesses for the state gave evidence, while two for the defense testified. After the presentation of arguments, the case was kept pending for verdict (CAV) on May 14 and the verdict was fixed for June 22 and June 30.

In this case, the state was represented by Chief Prosecutor Md. Aminul Islam, Prosecutor Faruk Ahmed and others, while the accused was represented by senior lawyer Munsurul Haque Chowdhury. Before the verdict was announced, the Chief Prosecutor claimed that all the charges brought against Inu had been proven in court and the state was expecting the maximum sentence. The verdict was broadcast live on the country’s media, and earlier, the UK and international circles had also called for close monitoring of the case.