The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) on Monday fixed 28 June for the cross-examination of Imrul Kayes, the former bodyguard of fired military officer Ziaul Ahsan, in connection with allegations of enforced disappearances and murders during the fallen Awami League regime.
The tribunal, led by its judges, set the new date following a time petition filed by defence lawyer Naznin Nahar on Monday. Earlier on Sunday, Imrul Kayes, a Warrant Officer of the Bangladesh Army, testified as the fifth witness in the case.
Prosecutors Mizanul Islam and Shaik Mahdi represented the state during the proceedings.
Horrific testimonies of extrajudicial killings
In a chilling deposition on Sunday, Imrul Kayes provided eyewitness accounts of atrocities allegedly carried out by Ziaul Ahsan. Kayes testified that on one occasion at midnight, he saw the former army officer place a sack-bound corpse on a railway track to be run over by an oncoming train.
He further alleged that while returning from the Jaflong border one night, Ahsan stopped his vehicle and shot two captives brought from India in the head with a pistol.
Kayes, who served as Ahsan’s bodyguard or runner, claimed that within a span of only 15 to 16 months, he witnessed approximately 150 to 200 individuals being killed through shooting, lethal injections, and other means under Ahsan’s leadership.
The witness also implicated Ziaul Ahsan in the high-profile abduction and enforced disappearance of BNP leader Ilias Ali.
Charges of crimes against humanity
The tribunal formally framed three charges against Ziaul Ahsan on 14 January for his alleged involvement in the murder of 104 people. These formal charges, brought by the prosecution, were taken into cognizance on 17 December last year.
According to the prosecution, Ahsan served as director of the Intelligence Wing and later as the additional director general (operations) of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) between 2009 and 2016.
During this period, he is alleged to have directly participated in, or ordered and authorised, numerous enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings carried out by his trusted RAB members.
An unprecedented career trajectory
Prosecution sources revealed that Ziaul Ahsan became a highly trusted confidant of Sheikh Hasina after being posted to RAB as a Major in 2009.
Consequently, he remained under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs throughout the Hasina administration and never returned to his parent organisation, the Bangladesh Army, until his compulsory retirement as a Major General in 2024.
The prosecution further noted that Ahsan’s promotion to the rank of major general occurred without him completing mandatory professional courses or training, and without any experience in commanding a battalion, brigade, or formation.
This has been described as an unprecedented event in the professional history of the Bangladesh Army.
