Bangladeshi court orders arrest, jailing of fifteen army officials
(MENAFN) A Bangladeshi court on Wednesday ordered the formal arrest and imprisonment of 15 army officials, including 14 currently serving officers, in connection with cases of forced disappearance and murder.
The Dhaka-based International Crimes Tribunal also instructed that notices be published in newspapers summoning fugitive former leader Sheikh Hasina, her security adviser, and others to appear in the proceedings.
Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam informed reporters of the development following rulings on three separate cases.
Defense lawyer Barrister M. Sarwar Hossain told the press that those who directly committed the crimes, including murder and forced disappearances, have fled to neighboring India. He added that the officers who surrendered are “innocent,” and their innocence will be proven in court.
The move comes amid increased calls to hold accountable those implicated in serious crimes during the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule and in connection with killings during last July’s uprising, which resulted in 1,400 deaths. Hasina has been in exile since August 5 following the uprising.
The army officials, who held top positions in Hasina’s government, had previously been accused in cases involving forced disappearance and murder. They were initially detained by the army and placed in a house within a Dhaka cantonment designated as a sub-jail by the Home Ministry.
Victims of the crimes criticized the decision to confine the officers in a cantonment-based sub-jail, saying it creates a sense of disparity and raises concerns over whether justice will be served.
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