Dhaka: A court here on Monday framed charges against seven people, including the wife, one son and a counsel of executed war criminal Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, in a case filed in connection with the leakage of the draft verdict on the BNP leader, according to a UNB report.

Judge KM Samsul Alam of the Cyber Crime Tribunal of Dhaka passed the order and fixed March 28 for beginning the trial.

Six of the accused—Salauddin Quader’s wife Farhat Quader

Chowdhury, his son Humman Quader Chowdhury, his manager Mahbubul Ahsan, lawyer AKM Fakhrul Islam and two staff of the International Crimes Tribunal-1 Nayan Ali and Faruq Hossain—pleaded not guilty when the court read out the charges to them.

Another accused Fakhrul’s associate Advocate Mehedi Hasan remained absconding.

The court also granted bail to Salauddin Quader’s manager Mahbubul Ahsan.

DB inspector M Shajahan submitted a chargesheet with the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court against the seven accused on August 28, 2014.

On October 1, 2013, ICT-1 sentenced BNP standing committee member Salauddin Quader Chowdhury to death after finding him guilty of committing crimes against humanity and genocide during the Liberation War in 1971.

However, some parts of the draft verdict were found posted in the internet several hours before pronouncing the verdict. Later, showing the copy of the draft verdict, Salauddin’s wife and son raised a complaint that the verdict was originated from the Law Ministry.

On October 4, a case was filed with Shahabagh Police Station under sections 57 and 63 of Information and Communication Technology Act.

Later, DB police arrested AKM Fakhrul Islam from his chamber at Segunbagicha in the capital on November 20 that year. On December 7, 2015, the High Court granted an interim bail for one year to Barrister Fakhrul Islam in the case.