The International Crimes Tribunal has ordered that 15 former and serving army officers, currently in custody, be sent to jail in connection with three separate cases of crimes against humanity. The directive came on Wednesday (October 22) from a three-member judicial panel of the International Crimes Tribunal-1, led by Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder. The other two members of the bench are Justice Md Shafiul Alam Mahmud and Judge Md Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury.
Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam confirmed the matter. Around 7:15 a.m., the accused officers were brought to the court under tight security in a prison van.
According to tribunal sources, two of the three cases involve incidents of enforced disappearance and torture committed during the previous Awami League government’s tenure. The third case pertains to crimes against humanity committed during the July mass uprising in the Rampura and Banasree areas of Dhaka. In total, 32 individuals—including 25 former and current military officers—have been named as accused in the cases. Of them, 15 officers are currently under military custody.
One of the enforced disappearance cases lists 17 accused, including former Additional Director General of RAB Brigadier General Md Jahangir Alam, Brigadier General Tofayel Mostafa Sarwar, Brigadier General Md Kamrul Hasan, Brigadier General Md Mahbub Alam, Brigadier KM Azad, Colonel Abdullah Al Momen, Colonel Anwar Latif Khan, Lieutenant Colonel Md Moshior Rahman, Lieutenant Colonel Saiful Islam Suman, and Lieutenant Colonel Sarwar Bin Kashem—all of whom are currently in military custody.
Among the fugitives in the case are former RAB Director Generals Benazir Ahmed, M Khurshid Hossain, and Md Harun-or-Rashid. Other absconding accused include former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former Defense Adviser Major General (Retd.) Tariq Ahmed Siddiq, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and former RAB Director Lieutenant Colonel (Retd.) Muhammad Khairul Islam.
In another case related to crimes against humanity during the July uprising, the accused are former BGB officers Lieutenant Colonel Md Redwanul Islam and Major Md Rafat-bin-Alam, former Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Police Md Rashedul Islam, and former Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Moshior Rahman. Of them, Redwanul and Rafat are currently in military custody, while the other two remain fugitives.