Brigadier General Miftah Uddin Ahmed, the former commanding officer of RAB-7 accused in the 2018 murder of Teknaf municipality councillor Ekramul Haque, has been taken into military custody.
The officer, who was serving as the station commander of Barishal Cantonment, was taken into custody at 10:30pm Monday night.
Lieutenant Colonel Samiud Doula Chowdhury, director of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), confirmed the development, stating that Miftah is being held under the supervision of the AA and QMG of the Log Area at Dhaka Cantonment.
Legal proceedings will be initiated against him in accordance with the laws of Bangladesh.
Notably, in 2021, the US Department of State included Miftah Uddin Ahmed on a list of officials banned from entering the United States, alongside former Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed.
‘Murdered in cold blood’
The International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) last Sunday, took into formal cognisance charges of crimes against humanity against 11 individuals in connection with the death of Ekramul Haque.
The tribunal, chaired by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, issued arrest warrants for eight of the accused, including Miftah and ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, following a report submitted by the prosecution.
Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam stated that the investigating officer’s report found evidence of the accused individuals’ involvement in the killing.
The list of the 11 accused includes former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former IGP Benazir Ahmed, and former member of parliament Abdur Rahman Bodi.
Other high-ranking officials named are Colonel (retd) Anwar Latif Khan (alias Tushar), Brigadier General Md Mahbub Alam (alias Minu), Major (retd) Ruhul Amin (alias Rajan), Squadron Leader Nazmus Mahmud (alias Raju), and Lieutenant Commander Ashiqur Rahman (alias Saikat).
Three of the accused – Bodi, Anwar Latif Khan, and Mahbub Alam – are already detained in other cases and have been ordered to be produced before the court.
The case pertains to the death of Ekramul Haque, a veteran three-term councillor and former head of the Teknaf upazila Jubo League, who was killed during an anti-drug operation on the night of 26 May 2018.
The incident, which occurred in the Noakhalipara area of Marine Drive, was officially reported as a “gunfight.”
However, the victim’s wife, Ayesha Begum, challenged this narrative, claiming that her husband was “murdered in cold blood.” During a press conference on 31 May 2018, she released mobile phone recordings she claimed were captured during the incident.
The audio files, featuring the sounds of a weapon’s trigger clicking followed by gunfire and the audible groans of a man, raised serious public doubts regarding the official account of the operation.
The tribunal has scheduled the next hearing for 25 August.
