Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Salahuddin Ahmed on Tuesday filed a complaint accusing deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and five former senior law enforcement officials of crimes against humanity for his alleged enforced disappearance in 2015.
Nearly 10 months after returning home from India following the ouster of Hasina-led AL government in a student-led mass uprising on August 5, 2024, Salahuddin the complaint with the chief prosecutor鈥檚 office of the International Crimes Tribunal.
He also named then鈥揜apid Action Battalion director general Benazir Ahmed, former inspector general of police AKM Shahidul Hoque, RAB additional director general Ziaul Ahsan, former Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia and former additional IGP Monirul Islam in the complaint.
He also accused several other unnamed individuals.
Salahuddin, a BNP standing committee member, was accompanied by a team of pro-BNP lawyers, including Nasir Uddin Ahmed Ashim, Ruhul Quddus Kazal and Kayser Kamal, during the submission of the complaint.
Salahuddin stated that during the anti-government movement of the BNP in early 2015, he was abducted and confined to at a secret detention centre named Anynaghor for two months before being taken across the border to the Meghalaya state of India.
He urged the chief prosecutor to launch a formal investigation into聽the matter and initiate proceedings to bring the accused to justice.
Salahuddin said that he was forcibly abducted from a Uttara house on March 10, 2015, while serving as the BNP鈥檚 acting spokesperson and a joint secretary general, during the party鈥檚 anti-government campaign demanding restoration of democracy.
鈥楩or 61 days, my family was denied any information on my whereabouts, I was blindfolded, detained, tortured, and eventually pushed across the border into India,鈥� Salahuddin alleged in his complaint.
鈥業 returned to Bangladesh in August 2024 after the fall of the fascist regime of Sheikh Hasina following a mass uprising,鈥� he added.
Salahuddin stated that he was unable to return to Bangladesh earlier due to the non-cooperation of the accused, including Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman.
鈥楾hey bear criminal responsibility both as principal offenders and under the doctrine of superior command responsibility, given their official positions at the time,鈥� he said.
Salahuddin also cited that the Supreme Court of India on February 28, 2023, upheld his acquittal by a Shillong court in a case of illegal trespass. The lower court had cleared him of the charges on October 26, 2018.
He explained that the delay in filing the complaint was caused by multiple factors, including his prolonged involuntary stay abroad and the time required for consultations with the family, party colleagues and legal advisers.
Earlier on January 9, the BNP filed two formal complaints with the office of the chief prosecutor, accusing Hasina, her party colleagues and law enforcement officials of orchestrating crossfires and enforced disappearances during her 15-year rule.
The complaints alleged that 2,276 BNP leaders and activists were killed in reported crossfires and 153 others, including prominent BNP leaders Ilias Ali, Chowdhury Alam and Salahuddin Ahmed, were subjected to enforced disappearance between 2008 and August 5, 2024.
BNP leader Salauddin Khan, who coordinates investigations into killings and enforced disappearances targeting BNP members, filed the complaints on behalf of BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
The complaints still remain pending with the tribunal鈥檚 Investigation Agency for investigation.
