Bangladesh takes 15 serving and former army officers into military custody

Fifteen army officers, both serving and retired, have been placed in military custody following the issuance of arrest warrants for their alleged involvement in “disappearances and crimes against humanity” during Sheikh Hasina’s administration, reports 24brussels.

Major General Md Hakimuzzaman, the Adjutant General of the Bangladesh Army, confirmed the development on Saturday, stating the army would “fully support” the ongoing legal process. The move follows a broader crackdown on individuals accused of enforced disappearances, a tactic reportedly employed during the Awami League’s tenure, which began in 2009.

On October 8, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) issued arrest warrants for 30 individuals, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The tribunal mandated that all accused parties must be presented in court by October 22. Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder heads the three-member tribunal overseeing the cases.

Among those targeted are former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, retired Major General Tariq Ahmed Siddique—Hasina’s former defense adviser—and former police chief Benzir Ahmed. Of the remaining defendants, 27 are either current or former army officers.

The ICT’s actions are a response to two formal complaints of enforced disappearance filed by the prosecution. Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam requested the issuance of arrest warrants, which the tribunal granted. The first case involves the abduction of opposition activists, allegedly carried out by operations under the Rapid Action Battalion’s Taskforce for Interrogation (TFI), where victims reportedly faced torture.

The prosecution has leveled five charges of crimes against humanity in this instance. The second case includes charges against Hasina, Siddique, and eleven others for detaining individuals at the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence’s Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC) and subjecting them to torture. This, too, entails five charges of crimes against humanity and names several former directors general of the DGFI among the accused.