A court has set 25 January next year for the submission of the investigation report in the crimes against humanity case over the abduction and enforced disappearance of missing BNP leader M Ilias Ali.
On Sunday International Crimes Tribunal-1 issued the order following a time petition submitted by the prosecution. Prosecutor Zahirul Amin, appearing for the prosecution, petitioned for an additional three months to submit the report.
Accused Air Force Wing Commander Saifur Rahman Saif was produced before the tribunal on the day, whilst another accused, former army officer Ziaul Ahsan, attended proceedings virtually from jail.
The International Crimes Tribunal had issued an arrest warrant against Saifur Rahman on 9 August in connection with the abduction and enforced disappearance of Ilias Ali, and the court ordered him to be sent to jail after he was produced before the tribunal on 23 August.
Earlier, Saifur Rahman’s name emerged in connection with the disappearance and killing of Ilias Ali in a statement provided on 21 June by Army Warrant Officer Imrul Kayes in a crimes against humanity case against former army officer Ziaul Ahsan over more than a hundred enforced disappearances and murders.
Subsequently, the Special Military Police branch (Provost) detained him from his residence on the night of 26 July, and he was later kept in custody in the force’s special cell.
Prosecution sources stated that the investigation into the crimes against humanity case over the disappearance of BNP leader Ilias Ali in April 2012 is ongoing.
Direct involvement of Air Force officer Wing Commander Saifur Rahman has been found in the incident, while the roles of retired Lieutenant General Sheikh Mamun Khaled and others remain under investigation.
Late on the night of 17 April 2012, the then organising secretary of BNP, Ilias Ali, and his driver were picked up from the capital’s Banani area, and they have remained untraced ever since.
BNP leaders alleged that Ilias Ali was forcibly disappeared on the orders of relevant figures in the then Awami League government.
According to the prosecution, the intelligence wing of RAB was directly involved in the incident, during which time Air Force Squadron Leader Saifur Rahman was serving in RAB’s intelligence wing.
