Fifteen army officers – currently in custody at the Dhaka Cantonment – are set to surrender on Wednesday to the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in two cases related to enforced disappearances committed during the ousted Awami League rule, sources at the army headquarters said.
A prosecutor of the ICT told TIMES of Bangladesh, on condition of anonymity, “In the eyes of the law, everyone is equal. Therefore, the prosecution hopes that the members of the disciplinary force who are in custody will show respect for the law and appear in court.”
On Tuesday night, ICT Prosecutor (Admin) Gazi MH Tamim told TIMES, “If the army officers in custody do not appear in the tribunal by Wednesday, a notice will be published in newspapers asking for their surrender, as per the law.”
“If the accused appear and seek bail, the tribunal may grant it or order them to be sent to jail,” he added.
The prosecutor confirmed that the ICT has not yet been officially informed about the army officers’ remaining in custody.
Meanwhile, multiple sources from the tribunal and the army have said that, since the army has announced the custody of the 15 officers and the building where they are held has been declared a sub-jail, the officers will be brought to the tribunal on Wednesday, in accordance with the law.
It is also known that if they surrender, the prosecution may seek permission from the tribunal for their interrogation. In such a case, permission for interrogation at the jail gate or safe house may also be granted. Furthermore, it is almost unheard of for bail to be granted in ICT cases of this nature.
After the indictment in three cases, including two related to enforced disappearances committed during the Awami League’s rule, the tribunal issued arrest warrants on 8 October for 32 individuals, including the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Among them, 25 are current and former military officers.
The relevant authorities were instructed to arrest and bring them to the tribunal by Wednesday.
Typically, such warrants are sent to the police chief for execution, but since both serving and retired military officers are involved, a copy of the warrant was sent to the army chief to keep him informed and assist law enforcement in arresting the accused officers. The ICT also sent the warrant to 13 relevant departments.
On 11 October, Major General Md Hakimuzzaman, adjutant general of the army, briefed journalists regarding the accused officers at Dhaka Cantonment. “We have learned that the International Crimes Tribunal has issued arrest warrants against 25 military officers, both serving and retired. Among them, 15 are in custody. One’s retirement process is ongoing, and Major General Kabir Ahmed is missing. The remaining eight have already retired from the military.”
He further said, “The army respects all the laws of Bangladesh, as enshrined in the Constitution.”
Following Major General Hakimuzzaman’s briefing, on 13 October, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification declaring a building at Dhaka Cantonment as a temporary prison.
Cases and the accused
A total of 28 people has been accused in two cases of enforced disappearances, secret detention, and torture in the 15 years of Hasina’s rule.
Of them, five are civilian while 23 are serving and former army officers. They civilians are Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former IGP Benazir Ahmed, former directors general of Rapid Action Battalion Harun-or-Rashid and Khurshid Hossain.
In both cases, Maj Gen (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, former defence and security adviser to Hasina, has been accused.
Most of the army officers accused served Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and Rab.
Five former DGFI chiefs accused are Lt Gen (retd) Md Akbar Hossain, Lt Gen (retd) Md Saiful Alam, Lt Gen (retd) Ahmed Tabrez Shams Chowdhury, Maj Gen (retd) Md Saiful Abedin, and Maj Gen (retd) Hamidul Haque.
The other accused are former Counter Terrorism and Intelligence Bureau (CTIB) directors are Maj Gen Sheikh Md Sarwar Hossain, Maj Gen (retd) Mohammad Towhidul Ul Islam, Maj Gen Kabir Ahmed, Brig Gen Md Mahbubur Rahman Siddique, and Brig Gen Ahmed Tanvir Mazahar Siddique. Former DGFI official Lt Col (retd) Mokhsurul Haque was also named. CTIB is a unit of DGFI.
Also Col (retd) Anwar Latif Khan, Brig Gen Md Jahangir Alam, Brig Gen Tofail Mostafa Sarwar, Brig Gen Kamrul Hasan, Brig Gen Md Mahbub Alam, Col K M Azad, Col Abdullah Al Momen, Lt Col (retd) Muhammad Khairul Islam, Lt Col Md Moshiur Rahman Jewel, and Lt Col Saiful Islam Sumon, and Lt Col Sarwar Bin Kashem have been accused in the two cases of enforced disappearance and torture.
In the third case, the accused are Border Guard Bangladesh officers — Lt Col Redwanul Islam, Maj Rafat bin Alam Mun –DMP’s former ADCC of Khilgaon Division Md Rashedul Islam, and former officer-in-charge of Rampura Police Station Md Mashiur Rahman for killing 28 people and committing crimes against humanity in Rampura during the July uprising. Both the police officers are absconding.
