24 businessmen face allegations over July killings

Allegations have been submitted to the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) against 24 business leaders holding them responsible for the killings that took place during the Mass Uprising of July 2024. These 24 noted entrepreneurs include leading business owners like Ahmed Akbar Sobhan alias Shah Alam, founder of Bashundhara Group. Similar allegations have been slapped on another 200 unidentified businessmen.

Motasim Billah Mahfuz, a student of Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) filed the above allegations with ICT on Tuesday on behalf of the Anti-Discriminatory Students' Movement. President of Anti-Discriminatory Students' Movement Rifat Rashid talked about this issue to journalists later on. Other individuals named in the allegations are Beximco Group Chairman Salman F Rahman, Hameem Group Managing Director AK Azad, S Alam Group Chairman Mohammad Saiful Alam, Meghna Group Chairman Mostafa Kamal, McSons Group of Companies Chairman Mohammad Ali Khokon, Northern Trust Chairman Abu Yusuf Abdullah, Orion Group Chairman Obaidul Karim, Lotus Kamal Group Chairman AHM Mostafa Kamal, former FBCCI President Mahbub Alam etcetera.

Former BGMEA President SM Mannan Kochi, Nassa Group Chairman Nazrul Islam Mazumder, former FBCCI Director Helal Uddin, former BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem, Apex Group Chairman Nasim Manzur, former FBCCI Director Abdul Motaleb, Pran-RFL Group Chairman Mohammad Sunny, Anwar Group Chairman Anwar Parvez, Bazlur Rahman, Preeti Chakma, Auto Museum Limited Chairman Habibullah Dawn and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal's cashier BM Yusuf Ali have been placed under the above allegations too.   

The complaints show that the above business leaders gathered in the capital's Osmani Auditorium on 22 July 2024 while internet shutdown was going on to facilitate former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government to subdue the demonstrations ruthlessly.

Student coordinator Rifat Rashid told journalists on Tuesday that the above business tycoons supported and collaborated with Sheikh Hasina in committing human rights violations and genocides while the July Uprising was underway. Rifat Rashid urged the ICT judges to prosecute these businessmen and to take legal actions against these magnates in an exemplary way.

>>Saiful Alam, AA