Rampura 28 Murders Trial: Tribunal Postpones Witness Testimony to Sept 16

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 in Dhaka has officially postponed the scheduled witness testimony in a high-profile crimes against humanity case concerning the deaths of 28 individuals during the July mass uprising in Rampura. The judicial proceedings, which were widely anticipated by legal observers and victims' families, hit a procedural roadblock when the designated witnesses failed to show up at the tribunal premises on September 2.

During the court session, the prosecution formally addressed the single-judge bench led by Tribunal-1 member Justice Md. Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury. Explaining the absence of the scheduled individuals, prosecutor Tasmirul Islam informed the tribunal regarding the situation. 'The date for recording witness testimony was fixed for today in this case. However, the witnesses did not appear. Therefore, we are seeking 15 days of time,' Tasmirul Islam stated to the court.

Acceding to the formal petition submitted by the prosecution team, the judicial bench granted the request and rescheduled the next date for the hearing to September 16. This latest adjustment in the judicial calendar affects the ongoing proceedings against four accused individuals linked to the case, which notably includes Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) officer Lieutenant Colonel Redwanul Islam alongside three other unnamed or co-accused respondents tied to the security apparatus.

The high-stakes legal proceedings stem from a series of violent incidents that occurred in the Rampura area during the historic July mass uprising, culminating in the deaths of 28 people. The gravity of the charges has placed the tribunal under intense public scrutiny as it seeks to deliver accountability for the victims of the civil unrest through structured judicial processes involving the Dhaka Metropolitan Police jurisdiction and local Rampura police station records.

Previously, the tribunal had made measurable headway in the evidentiary phase of the trial. On August 20, the court recorded the testimony of Rathul Hasan, a student who stepped forward to formally provide his deposition as the 12th witness in the case. The prosecution continues to build its evidentiary foundation by relying on survivor accounts and official records as the trial progresses toward its newly established September deadline.