Former army officers Ziaul Ahsan and Tareque Sayeed Mohammad have been shown arrested on separate allegations of enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killing during the tenure of the fallen Awami League.
Following a hearing on a petition by the prosecution on Monday the International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) issued the order, after which both were sent to prison.
Prosecutor Shyikh Mahdi said on 15 December 2013, Lakshmipur BNP leaders Abdul Mannan, Zohirul Islam Sumon and Asaduzzaman Babul were extrajudicially killed.
There are also allegations of the enforced disappearance of BNP activist Bellal Hossain during the same incident.
Additionally, there are allegations concerning the enforced disappearance of BNP leaders Saiful Islam Hiru and Humayun Kabir Parvez from Laksam in Cumilla on 27 November 2013.
According to the prosecution’s allegations, at the time of these incidents, Lt Col Tareque Sayeed was the commanding officer (CO) of RAB-11, whilst Ziaul Ahsan served as the additional director general (operations) of RAB.
The prosecution had petitioned the tribunal seeking directives to produce them in court to show them arrested in connection with these two incidents. In accordance with the petition, they were produced before the tribunal on Monday.
The prosecution said investigations into these cases are ongoing. Following the hearing, the court ordered them to be arrested and sent to prison.
Meanwhile, Ziaul Ahsan has been ordered to be produced before the tribunal on 27 August on allegations of disappearing the current Home Minister, Salahuddin Ahmed, during Awami regime.
Following a prosecution petition, the ICT-1 issued the directive on Monday.
The prosecution had applied to the tribunal on 6 August to produce Ziaul Ahsan to show him arrested over the disappearance of Salahuddin Ahmed.
On Monday, a hearing was held on the petition, after which the tribunal granted the prosecution’s application and ordered him to be produced.
In a separate order, the then RAB intelligence division official Abdullah Al Momen has also been ordered to be produced before the tribunal on 27 August on allegations of disappearing a student named Zakir Hossain from Dhaka’s Adabor.
The prosecution had petitioned the tribunal on 6 August seeking his production to show him arrested in connection with Zakir’s disappearance. Following a hearing on Monday, the court granted the application.
Abdullah Al Momen is already in prison, having been arrested in another case involving allegations of enforced disappearance at RAB’s Taskforce for Interrogation (TFI) cell.
Ziaul Ahsan is also currently detained in prison, facing charges as an accused in multiple cases of crimes against humanity involving enforced disappearances and killings.
However, for Tareque Sayeed Mohammad, this marks the first time that the process of showing him arrested in a case of crimes against humanity has been initiated.
