15 Military Officials Moved from Prison to Cantonment Sub-Jail

Fifteen current army officers, ordered to be sent to jail in three cases filed over enforced disappearances, killings and other crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the Awami League government's tenure, have been sent to a sub-jail inside Dhaka Cantonment under heavy security.

Of the 15, six are brigadier generals, one major general, four colonels, three lieutenant colonels, and one major.

Earlier this morning, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) ordered them to be sent to jail.

Following the hearing, their lawyer, Major (retd) Barrister M Sarwar Hossain, said they will be kept in the cantonment sub-jail for the time being.

The transfer was also confirmed to BBC Bangla by Additional Inspector General of Prisons Col Md Tanvir Hossain, who said, "They have been taken from the court to the sub-jail in the cantonment, where they will remain under the supervision of prison authorities."

The 15 accused in the three cases are - Brig Gen Md Kamrul Hasan, Brig Gen Tofayel Mostafa Sarwar, Brig Gen Md Mahbubur Rahman Siddique, Brig Gen Ahmed Tanvir Majhar Siddique, Brig Gen Md Mahbub Alam, Brig Gen Md Jahangir Alam, Maj Gen Sheikh Md Sarwar Hossain, Col Anwar Latif Khan, Col Abdullah Al Momen, Col AKM Azad, Col Md Sarwar Bin Kashem, Lt Col Md Moshiur Rahman Jewel, Lt Col Saiful Islam Sumon, Lt Col Md Redwanul Islam, and Maj Rafat Bin Alam Mun.

ICT-1, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder, issued the order after a hearing in connection with three cases filed for crimes against humanity.

Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam also confirmed the order, adding that the next hearing is scheduled for 20 November.

Earlier in the morning, at around 6:30am, the current and former officers were brought to ICT-1 under tight security from the temporary jail located within the cantonment area.

At the time, Barrister Sarwar said the officers would file two petitions: one seeking bail and another requesting that they be kept under special custody if bail is denied.

On 11 October, the Bangladesh Army headquarters stated that the 15 officers, against whom arrest warrants had been issued in the cases, had been taken into military custody.

Maj Gen Md Hakimuzzaman, adjutant general of the Bangladesh Army, told reporters at the time, "A total of 15 accused officers are now in army custody, while one officer remains unaccounted for. He left his residence one morning and has not returned since. Efforts are underway to trace his whereabouts."

He identified the missing officer as Maj Gen Kabir Ahmed.

"On 8 October, we learned that arrest warrants had been issued against 25 former and current army officers. However, we have not yet received any official copy of the warrants; none have been handed over to us so far," Hakimuzzaman said.

"Among the 25 officers, some are retired while others are still in service. Nine have retired, one is on leave preparatory to retirement [LPR], and 15 are currently serving," he added.

In one of the cases, a total of four charges have been brought against 17 individuals over abduction, enforced disappearance, and torture allegedly carried out by the RAB Task Force for Interrogation (TFI) Cell.

Ten of the accused have been arrested so far. They are: Azad, Kamrul, Momen, Moshiur, Sarwar, Tofayel, Mahbub, Saiful, Jahangir, and Anwar.

In another crimes against humanity case over enforced disappearances at the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC), former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 13 others are accused.

A total of five charges have been brought against them. Three of the accused - Maj Gen Sarwar, Mahbubur, and Tanvir - have been produced before the tribunal.

Meanwhile, in another crimes against humanity case filed over the killing of 28 people by gunfire in the capital's Rampura area on 18 and 19 July during last year's July Uprising, two of the four accused were produced before the tribunal.

Six charges have been brought in this case. The arrested accused are Redwanul and Rafat.

In these three cases, many other army officers have been accused including retired officers. Others accused in these cases include Brig Gen Kamrul Hasan, Maj Gen Kabir Ahmed, Col Anwar Latif Khan, Lt Col Md Sarwar Bin Kashem, retired maj gen Hamidul Haque, retired maj gen Mohammad Towhid-ul Islam, retired maj gen Tarik Ahmed Siddique, retired maj gen Md Saiful Alam, retired lt gen Ahmed Tabrez Shams Chowdhury, retired lt gen Md Akbar Hossain, retired lt col Khairul Islam, and retired lt col Makhsurul Haque.