The responsibility to decide the detention location of army officers accused in cases of enforced disappearance and other crimes against humanity now rests with the International Crimes Tribunal. Although a building within Dhaka Cantonment has been temporarily declared a jail, the tribunal will decide whether the accused will be placed in a sub-jail or any other prison.
On Monday (13 October), following the temporary jail declaration at Dhaka Cantonment, Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal, Tajul Islam, stated, “The government has the authority to designate any place as a jail. However, according to tribunal law, an arrested accused must be presented in court within 24 hours.”
The Ministry of Home Affairs notification stated that the “MES Building-54,” located on the north side of Bashar Road in Dhaka Cantonment, has been temporarily declared a jail. Though the notification is dated 12 October, the information was made public on Monday.
Earlier, 15 army officers, against whom arrest warrants were issued by the International Crimes Tribunal, had been taken into army custody.