Fourteen of the serving Bangladesh Army officials and another on post-retirement leave facing charges of enforced disappearances and July murders at the International Crimes Tribunal were taken into army custody on Thursday.
The army on Saturday revealed the information, adding that a major general remained absent from duty without leave.
Addressing a press conference at the Army Headquarters in Dhaka, army adjutant general Major General Md Hakimuzzaman said that they had asked all the 15 accused army officials to get attached to the Dhaka cantonment hours after formal charges were filed against them with the ICT on October 8.
The accused army officials either served the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence under the Prime Minister鈥檚 office or the Rapid Action Battalion under the home ministry.
Fourteen of the 15 serving officers responded to the order by the deadline on Thursday, while another officer is now on his post retirement leave, Major General Hakimuzzaman said.
鈥楢ll the 15 respondents, including one on the PRL, have been taken into the army custody while Major General Kabir remained absent without leave, which is illegal,鈥� he said.
He said that they took the move as an initial measure after learning about the International Crime Tribunal鈥檚 arrest warrants for them through media reports.
鈥榃e are yet to receive any official copy of the arrest warrants issued on October 8 for around 25 serving and retired army officers by the ICT,鈥� he added.
He said that they had already informed the DGFI, the National Security Intelligence, the Border Guard Bangladesh and port authorities as well, so that Major General Kabir could be traced and could not flee the country.聽
The ICT prosecution on Wednesday filed charges of crimes against humanity against 28 people, including 25 former senior officers of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence and the Rapid Action Battalion, from the rank of lieutenant colonel to major general for their alleged roles in enforced disappearances and torture in custody under their command.
The chief prosecutor, Md Tajul Islam, filed the charges with the ICT-1.
The three-member International Crimes Tribunal-1, headed by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder, took cognisance of four charges against the 28 accused and issued arrest warrants for all, as all of them are in hiding, and to report them on October 22.
Responding to a question, the adjutant general said聽 that the retired army officials could also opt for army custody or surrender to the police or to the court as nine retired army officials were also facing the ICT charges and arrest warrants for their alleged involvement in enforced disappearances.
Among those army officers accused in the ICT cases, 14 are serving, one is on post retirement leave and the nine others are retired, he added.
鈥極n October 8, we issued attachment orders to the 14 serving and the other on PRL, asking them to report by the next day. All responded to the order, except one, and they are now in army custody. The next course of action would be taken as per law鈥e have full respect to all laws of the country,鈥� the adjutant general said.聽
He said that the Bangladesh Army would stand for justice even though it might affect its members morally.聽
He said that they had already contacted the family of Major General Kabir, who informed them that Kabir had left home on October 9 to consult a lawyer, but had not returned since while he was unreachable by his cell phone.
鈥楾he Bangladesh Army has officially declared him absent without leave. That means his absence is illegal and a punishable offence in the service. So necessary administrative procedures have been initiated against him,鈥� he explained
The Bangladesh Army in the past 54 years took the accused personnel into custody for judicial proceedings even at the court martial in keeping with the army law.聽
Deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and former defence adviser Major General (retired) Tarique Ahmed Siddique were also named among the 28 accused in two cases linked to the 鈥楢ynaghar鈥�, secret detention centres inside the DGFI headquarters in Dhaka Cantonment and the RAB-1 office in Uttara.
The prosecution said that 22 of the accused were high-ranking army officers. Of them, 11 were posted to the DGFI and 11 were deputed to the RAB-1.
Led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, the interim government uncovered the secret detention centres after assuming office on August 8, 2024, three days after the ouster of the Hasina-led Awami League regime on August 5, 2024 amid a mass uprising.
Many victims who had disappeared during the Awami League regime were reportedly freed after the change in power.
The tribunal directed that copies of the arrest warrants be sent to the respective military authorities for those still in the service and asked the inspector general of police to report on the execution of the warrants.
The key accused include several senior RAB officials, including seven former additional director generals Lieutenant Colonel Anwar Latif Khan, Brigadier General Md Jahangir Alam, Brigadier General Tofael Mostafa Sarwar, Colonel AKM Azad, Brigadier General Kamrul Hasan, Brigadier General Md Mahbub Alam, and Colonel Abdullah Al Momen.
Former four RAB-1 intelligence directors Lieutenant Colonel Sarwar Bin Kashem, retired Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Khairul Islam, Lieutenant Colonel Mashiur Rahman Jewel, and Lieutenant Colonel Saiful Islam Suman are also accused in the cases.
Prosecutor Shyikh Mahdi, who assisted the investigation officer and additional superintendent of police Salahuddin in the probe, told 抖阴精品 that one case involves 17 accused over enforced disappearances and torture at a secret detention centre inside the RAB headquarters, while the other case named 13 accused, including Sheikh Hasina and Tarique Siddique, for similar crimes at the DGFI office inside Dhaka Cantonment.
The 11 DGFI-linked accused former army officers include five former DGFI directors general retired Lieutenant General聽 Md Akbar Hossain, retired Major General Md Saiful Abedin, retired Lieutenant General Md Saiful Alam, retired Lieutenant General Ahmed Tabrez Shams Chowdhury and retired Major General Hamidul Huq, former five DGFI directors retired Major General Mohammad Towhid-ul-Islam, Major General Sheikh Md Sarwar Hossain, Major General Kabir Ahmed, Brigadier General Mahbub Rahman Siddique, and Brigadier General Ahmed Tanvir Mazhar Siddique, and retired Lieutenant Colonel Makhsurul Haq.
The tribunal set October 22 for passing a further order.
