Hearings for framing charges in the two enforced disappearance cases will be held on 3 and 7 December.

ফাইল ছবি

News Desk:
Hearings for framing charges in two cases of enforced disappearances and torture during the Awami League government are scheduled for 3 and 7 December.

In these two cases, the International Crimes Tribunal-1, led by Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Majumder, set the hearing dates following the prosecution’s request after the appearance of 13 arrested military officers.

At the same time, Senior Lawyer Z. I. Khan Panna has been appointed as the state lawyer representing fugitive accused on behalf of Sheikh Hasina in these cases. State-appointed lawyers have also been assigned for other fugitive defendants.

Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam conducted the hearing today, with other prosecutors and defense lawyers present.

This morning, the 13 accused military officers were brought from a temporary detention facility at Dhaka Cantonment to the tribunal in special prison vans. A tight security cordon, including army, police, RAB, and BGB personnel, was deployed around the tribunal premises.

Separate cases of crimes against humanity involving enforced disappearances and torture during the Awami League government target 30 individuals, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her security adviser retired Major General Tariq Ahmed Siddique, and five former DGFI directors. Arrest warrants were issued by International Crimes Tribunal-1 on 8 October.

The tribunal had ordered the arrested accused to be produced on 22 October. Accordingly, the military officers were shown arrested and sent to jail on the same day.

The three-member tribunal of International Crimes Tribunal-1 is headed by Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Majumder. The other two members are Justice Md. Shafiul Alam Mahmud and Justice Md. Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury.

The 13 military officers sent to jail in these enforced disappearance cases are:

• Former RAB Additional Director Brigadier General Md. Jahangir Alam

• Brigadier General Tofayel Mostafa Sarwar

• Brigadier General Md. Kamrul Hasan

• Brigadier General Md. Mahabub Alam

• Brigadier K. M. Azad

• Colonel Abdullah Al Momen

• Colonel Anwar Latif Khan (currently on retirement leave)

• Former RAB Intelligence Directorate Director Lt. Colonel Md. Moshiur Rahman

• Lt. Colonel Saiful Islam Sumon

• Lt. Colonel Md. Sarwar Bin Kashem

• Former DGFI Director Major General Sheikh Md. Sarwar Hossain

• Brigadier General Md. Mahbubur Rahman Siddiqui

• Brigadier General Ahmed Tanvir Mazahar Siddiqui

Meanwhile, the hearing for the case of crimes against humanity involving the killing of 28 people in Rampura during July–August, in which Lt. Colonel Redwanul Islam and Major Md. Rafat Bin Alam Mun were arrested, is scheduled for tomorrow.

After the tribunal issued arrest warrants, the army announced on 11 October at a press conference that 15 serving military officers would be taken into custody. At the press conference at the Army Officers’ Mess, Adjutant General Major General Md. Hakimuzzaman said that among the 30 accused in the two cases, 25 are former and serving army officers, 9 are retired, one has gone on LPR, and 15 are currently serving.

Subsequently, a building in Dhaka Cantonment was temporarily declared a detention facility. On 12 October, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification to this effect. According to the notification signed by Deputy Secretary Md. Hafiz Al of the Security Services Division under the President’s order:

“Under Section 541(1) of the Bangladesh Criminal Procedure Code, 1898, and Section 3B of the Prison Act, MES Building No-54, located north of Bashar Road, Dhaka Cantonment, is hereby temporarily declared a prison.”