Fifteen army officers have been taken into army custody in Dhaka following arrest warrants issued by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) over allegations of enforced disappearances and crimes against humanity.
Among them, 14 are currently serving officers and one is on Leave Preparatory to Retirement (LPR). Another serving officer, however, did not respond despite being served a notice.
Following intense discussions over the warrants issued by the tribunal in the enforced disappearance case — and amid anger from the July upsurge leaders over the non-arrest of army officers — Major General Md Hakimuzzaman, the Adjutant General of the Bangladesh Army, disclosed the information at a press conference held on Saturday at Mess A in Dhaka Cantonment on Saturday.
He said that the army is taking lawful measures regarding officers accused in the tribunal’s cases.
“Fifteen of the officers named in the charge sheet are now in army custody. We had instructed a total of 16 officers to report to army custody, and 15 have complied,” he added.
The International Crimes Tribunal on October 8 issued arrest warrants against 30 accused persons after taking cognisance of formal charges filed by the prosecution in two cases of crimes against humanity — allegedly committed during the Awami League government’s tenure, involving enforced disappearances and torture of opposition figures.
Of the 30 accused, 17 are named in the case related to torture at the RAB Task Force Interrogation (TFI) Cell, while 13 are accused in the case concerning torture at the Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC).
In both cases, the prime accused is Sheikh Hasina, the former prime minister ousted in the July upsurge. Other accused include her security and defence adviser, retired Major General Tarique Ahmed Siddique, and five former Director Generals of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI).
Major General Hakimuzzaman said that of the 30 accused, 25 are former and current army officers. Fifteen of the serving officers, including the LPR officer, have been taken into custody, while one officer remains absconding.
“The Bangladesh Army also wants a proper trial of crimes against humanity, including disappearances and murders. We want justice and remain uncompromising on fairness and accountability,” he said.
But the Army has not yet officially received a copy of the charge sheet. “The officers were taken into custody based on information from the media and social media,” he added.
Regarding the absconding officer, Major General Hakimuzzaman identified him as Major General Kabir, who did not respond even after notice. “We are investigating his matter,” he said.
He said once the Army receives the charge sheet from the ICT, it will review the details of the alleged crimes and seek the opinions from the authorities concerned to determine how the trial process will proceed.
