13 army officers will be produced in the tribunal today in the case of disappearance

Thirteen army officers will be brought before the International Criminal Tribunal on Sunday (November 23) in two cases of crimes against humanity related to disappearance and torture.

Justice Md. A three-member judicial panel headed by Golam Mortuza Majumder will hear and order in this regard today. The other two members of the tribunal are Justice Md. Shafiul Alam Mahmud and Judge Md. Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury.

A case was filed against 17 people, including Sheikh Hasina, on charges of torture by keeping them in secret cells of the RAB Task Force Interrogation (TFI). Apart from this, 13 people have been accused in another case of crimes against humanity on the charges of disappearance in the Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC) or Ayanaghar. Sheikh Hasina’s name is also in this case.

Earlier, the tribunal fixed Sunday for the next hearing of the defendants in two separate cases last Sunday (October 26).

On October 22, the tribunal sent 15 army officers to jail in connection with the disappearance-murder incident. On that day, he fixed November 20 for the next hearing regarding the former and present army officers. But in view of the prosecution’s application, the tribunal postponed the hearing of the case against the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and army officers to November 23 on the charges of disappearance and torture during the rule of Awami League.

There are 17 accused in one of the two cases of disappearance and torture. Among them former Additional Director General of RAB Brigadier General. Jahangir Alam, Brigadier General Tofail Mustafa Sarwar, Brigadier General Md. Kamrul Hasan, Brigadier General. Mahabub Alam, Brigadier KM Azad, Colonel Abdullah Al Momen and Colonel Anwar Latif Khan (now on retirement leave); The former director of RAB’s intelligence branch, Lt. Col. Moshiur Rahman, Lt. Col. Saiful Islam Sumon and Lt. Col. Md. Sarwar bin Kashem was in army custody.

Among the accused in this case are three former director generals of Rrab. They are Benazir Ahmed (later IGP), M Khurshid Hossain and Md. Harun-or-Rashid. They are fugitives. Apart from this, the accused in the case, Sheikh Hasina, her defense adviser Major General (retd) Tariq Ahmed Siddique, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former RAB director Lt Col (retd) Muhammad Khairul Islam are absconding.

Sheikh Hasina, Tariq Ahmed Siddique and 13 others have been accused in another case of disappearance and torture during the Awami League regime. Among them, three former directors of DGFI, Major General Sheikh Md. Sarwar Hossain, Brigadier General Md. Mahbubur Rahman Siddiqui and Brigadier General Ahmed Tanvir Mazahar Siddiqui were now in army custody.

Among the accused in this case are five former DGFI directors. They are Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md. Akbar Hossain, Major General (Retd.) Md. Saiful Abedin, Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md. Saiful Alam, Lieutenant General (retd) Ahmed Tabrez Shams Chowdhury and Major General (retd) Hamidul Haque.

Other accused include former director of DGFI Major General (retd) Mohammad Tauhidul ul Islam, Major General Kabir Ahmed and Lt Col (retd) Makhchurul Haque. There is no definite information about their current location. However, some related sources say that they have left the country.

FH/MMK/MS