Hasina, 16 others indicted in enforced disappearances case

Ousted premier Sheikh Hasina, already carrying death penalty on her head, is now indicted for complicity in enforced disappearances and torture during her rule in one and a half decades.
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) in Dhaka also framed the charge against 16 others in this case of crimes against humanity in connection with alleged enforced disappearances and torture in the Taskforce for Interrogation Cell (TFI Cell).
A three-member bench of the tribunal, headed by its Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, passed the order Tuesday after hearings on the formal charge pressed against them.
Of the 17 accused, 10 former Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) officers from the army were produced before the tribunal.
Before framing the charge, the tribunal asked the accused in the dock whether they pleaded guilty. All ten stood up and pleaded not guilty. "We expect justice through the tribunal," one of them told the court.
The officers are Brig-General Md Jahangir Alam, former Additional Director- General (ADG), Ops (Operations), RAB, Brig-General Tofayel Mostofa Sarwar, former RAB ADG (Ops), Brig-Gen Md Kamrul Hasan, former RAB ADG (Ops), Brig-Gen Md Mahbub Alam, former RAB ADG (Ops), Col Anwar Latif Khan, former RAB ADG (Ops), Col KM Azad, former RAB ADG (Ops), Col Abdullah Al Momen, former RAB ADG (Ops), Col Md Sarwar Bin Kashem, former Director, Intelligence Wing, RAB, Lt-Col Md Moshiur Rahman Jewel, former Director, Intelligence Wing, RAB, and Lt-Col Saiful Islam Sumon, former Director, Intelligence Wing, RAB.
According to the prosecution, the remaining seven accused, including Sheikh Hasina, are absconding. The fugitives are Hasina, Tarique Ahmed Siddique, former Defense Adviser to Sheikh Hasina, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former Home Minister, Benazir Ahmed, former Inspector-General of Police, M Khurshid Hossain, former RAB DG, Barrister Md Harun-Or-Rashid, former RAB DG, and Lt Col (retd) Muhammad Khairul Islam, former Director, Intelligence Wing, RAB.
After charge framing, the tribunal set January 21 for placing opening statement by the prosecution and recording the first witness' deposition. The tribunal turned down petitions filed by the accused seeking discharge from the allegations.
Earlier on October 8 this year, Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam submitted to the tribunal formal charge against the accused over allegations of enforced disappearances and torture during the Awami League regime.
In the formal charge, these 17 were accused on five counts related to enforced disappearances and torture carried out at the Taskforce for Interrogation Cell (TFI Cell).
The tribunal the same day took the formal charge into its cognizance and issued an arrest warrant against the accused. Later on October 22, arrested 10 army officials were produced in the court, and after a hearing, the tribunal sent them to jail.

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