Dhaka, October 22, 2025 – In a significant escalation of accountability efforts following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Wednesday ordered the arrest and immediate imprisonment of 15 army officials accused of enforced disappearances, murders, and other crimes against humanity committed during Hasina's 15-year rule. Of the 15, 14 are serving officers, marking the first time active military personnel have been formally remanded to civilian custody in such high-profile cases under the amended ICT Act.
The ruling came during hearings in three separate cases before Tribunal-1, presided over by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mojumder. Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam, addressing reporters outside the tribunal premises shortly after the orders were issued, described the development as a "crucial step toward justice for victims long denied it." He emphasized that the tribunal had accepted formal charges against the officers for their alleged roles in systematic abuses, including the operation of secret detention centers where political dissidents were tortured and vanished.
The accused include senior figures from the Bangladesh Army's elite units, such as former and current directors of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI). Among them are three ex-DGFI directors: Maj Gen Sheikh Md Sarwar Hossain, Brig Gen Md Mahbubur Rahman Siddiqui, and Brig Gen Ahmed Tanvir Majahar Siddiqui. Others hail from the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), a paramilitary force notorious for extrajudicial killings, and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). Specific charges encompass the enforced disappearance of at least 13 individuals at the RAB's Task Force for Interrogation (TFI) cell in Uttara, Dhaka, between 2016 and 2024; torture and killings at the Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC); and the murder of 28 civilians during the violent suppression of the July 2024 uprising in Rampura, Dhaka, including BGB Lt Col Redwanul Islam.
The tribunal rejected bail applications from all 15 officers, who were produced in court under heavy security around 7:15 a.m. local time. They were formally shown arrested before being ordered remanded to Dhaka Central Jail. This move overrides prior arrangements where the Bangladesh Army had detained 15 of the officers in a designated "sub-jail" within Dhaka Cantonment since October 11, following initial arrest warrants issued on October 8.
The army's adjutant general, Maj Gen Md Hakimuzzaman, had previously confirmed that 15 officers reported to headquarters after learning of the warrants through media reports, as official copies were delayed. One officer, Maj Gen Kabir Ahmed—Hasina's former military secretary—remains at large, with the army stating efforts to locate him are ongoing. Hakimuzzaman reiterated the military's commitment to justice but noted the detentions' potential impact on troop morale ahead of anticipated February 2026 elections.
In a parallel development, the ICT mandated the publication of public notices in two national newspapers summoning fugitive Hasina; her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy; her security adviser, Lt Gen (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique; and 14 other high-profile figures to appear in court. Hasina, who fled to India on August 5, 2024, amid the July Revolution, faces multiple indictments, including for crimes against humanity related to the uprising's death toll, which UN investigations estimate at up to 1,400 lives. The notices, required under the ICT Act for absconding accused, warn of fugitive status and asset freezes if ignored.
Barrister M Sarwar Hossain, counsel for several defense teams, contested the proceedings vehemently. Speaking to journalists post-hearing, he claimed, "The true perpetrators, including those directly involved in murders and forced disappearances, have escaped to neighboring India. The officers who surrendered are innocent scapegoats, and this will be proven in court." Hossain argued for military tribunals over civilian ones, citing potential prejudice, but the tribunal upheld jurisdiction under the 2024 amendments to the ICT Act, which now explicitly criminalizes enforced disappearances following Bangladesh's ratification of the UN Convention on Enforced Disappearances.
Victims' families and human rights advocates gathered outside the tribunal expressed cautious optimism but voiced sharp criticism of the initial military custody arrangement. "Keeping them in a cantonment 'sub-jail' creates a two-tier justice system—one for the powerful, one for the powerless," said Rehana Akter, whose brother vanished in 2019 after criticizing the Awami League online. She spoke for a group of over 50 relatives who had lobbied for the officers' transfer to standard facilities. Transparency International Bangladesh echoed these concerns in a statement, warning that cantonment detention risks undermining public trust and could facilitate witness tampering.
This ruling caps a tumultuous year since the July Revolution, a student-led uprising that began as protests against a reinstated 30% quota for government jobs favoring descendants of 1971 freedom fighters. Sparked in early June 2024 at Dhaka University, the movement snowballed into nationwide fury over Hasina's authoritarianism, including rampant corruption, media suppression, and extrajudicial abuses. By mid-July, clashes with police and the ruling party's Chhatra League student wing turned deadly. A nationwide internet blackout, shoot-at-sight curfews, and indiscriminate firing by security forces—including the RAB, BGB, and army—escalated the violence.
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) fact-finding report, released in February 2025, documented at least 1,400 deaths between July 15 and August 5, with 12-13% being children. Over 11,500 were injured, and 32 minors lost eyesight to rubber bullets or tear gas. Hospitals were barred from reporting casualties, and CCTV footage was confiscated, suggesting underreporting. The report implicated top Awami League leaders, including Hasina, in directing the crackdown, labeling it a "systematic repression" that may constitute crimes under international law.
Hasina's regime, which began in 2009, transformed Bangladesh into an economic powerhouse with GDP growth averaging 6-7% annually. Yet, it was marred by democratic backsliding: opposition boycotts of "rigged" elections in 2018 and 2024, over 600 enforced disappearances documented by Human Rights Watch, and RAB's "crossfire" killings earning U.S. sanctions in 2021. The ICT, originally established in 2010 to prosecute 1971 war crimes, was repurposed by interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus to target Hasina-era atrocities after her flight.
Hasina, 78, remains in self-imposed exile in New Delhi, her exact location shielded by Indian authorities. She has issued audio messages rallying Awami League loyalists, but a December 2024 Dhaka court banned her speeches in Bangladesh. Facing over 227 cases—including a July 2025 six-month contempt sentence and asset freezes totaling Tk635 crore ($55 million) on 124 accounts—extradition requests to India under the 2013 treaty have stalled amid diplomatic tensions. Bangladesh's formal December 2024 plea detailed charges of mass murder and disappearances, but New Delhi cites political motivations and Hasina's role in bolstering Indo-Bangla ties.
Post-uprising Bangladesh grapples with instability. The interim government, installed August 8, 2024, under Yunus, has pursued reforms: repealing the quota partially, releasing 11,000 detainees, and investigating 858 uprising deaths via a special cell. Yet, mob violence persists—over 200 Awami League affiliates lynched since August 2024, per rights groups—and elections loom amid economic woes, with inflation at 9.8% and remittances dipping. UN High Commissioner Volker Türk hailed the prosecutions in October as "an important step towards accountability" but urged "scrupulous due process" to avoid Hasina-era flaws.
Security analysts warn the army's involvement could strain civil-military relations. "Trying serving officers in civilian courts sets a precedent but risks institutional backlash," said retired Lt Gen Hasibur Rahman. As Bangladesh hurtles toward polls, these cases symbolize a reckoning: from Hasina's iron-fisted legacy to a fragile quest for equitable justice.
The tribunal's next hearing is set for November 5, where chargesheets will be framed. For families like Akter's, it's a flicker of hope amid enduring grief. "We've waited years for this door to open," she said. "Now, it must lead to truth, not more shadows."
