International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) prosecution is investigating allegations that a section of journalists and media outlets assisted in crimes against humanity during murder and disappearance operations led by former Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officer Lt Col Ziaul Ahsan.
Speaking to reporters at the tribunal on Thursday, Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam said assisting in such atrocities renders complicit media representatives equally guilty of crimes against humanity, for which they should be tried at the tribunal.
The announcement followed the recording of testimony given against Ziaul Ahsan by Major (retd) Md Sabbir Rahman Osmany, an eyewitness and former army officer who served in RAB and accompanied many of Ziaul’s operations.
According to the chief prosecutor, the former RAB media wing invited a selected group of journalists and media outlets from Dhaka to operation sites, taking them up to Charduani in Patharghata.
The media representatives were provided with life jackets and briefed on location, where operations were depicted like staged plays, and the relevant media outlets subsequently broadcast the events in accordance with those briefings.
Aminul Islam clarified that he was not accusing all journalists, but rather a specific group that facilitated misdeeds during the former government’s tenure.
He noted that while witness Sabbir did not specify any media organisations or individual journalists by name in his statement, footage showing the presence of these media representatives at the operation sites is available with various news outlets and will be gathered to assist the probe.
Describing Sabbir Rahman’s deposition as very important and sufficient to prove the charges against Ziaul, the chief prosecutor detailed the horrific nature of the operations presented to the tribunal.
As per the witness’s account, Ziaul conducted numerous operations by taking victims, along with his own force members and personnel from Barishal-based RAB-8, to Charduani in Patharghata, Barguna.
The victims – who included political enemies, individuals opposing the former government, or those holding dissenting views – were picked up and taken out on trawlers. Execution methods involved placing a pillow on one side of a victim’s head and shooting through the head and ear from the other side.
Their abdomens were then slit before their bodies were tied to cement bags and thrown into the river, a method also described in killings under “Golf Operation.” The witness stated in his deposition that he was personally present during each of these atrocities.
The Chief Prosecutor asserted his belief that Ziaul Ahsan committed these crimes under state sponsorship, utilising power derived from direct contact with the highest level of state authority, deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
According to the witness, no other RAB officer dared to voice opposition to Ziaul Ahsan’s actions because of this direct high-level support.
Sabbir revealed in court that when he questioned his commanding officer on how such acts could be tolerated, the commander replied that he was helpless because Ziaul Ahsan was acting on direct orders from the highest level of state.
The ex-officer added, “Who will control him? Therefore, no one can control him. Everything will happen as Zia wants.” Sabbir ultimately retired from service out of remorse, as he could no longer accept these events.
