The International Crimes Tribunal-1 has fixed December 3 and 7 respectively for charge framing hearings against 30 accused, including convicted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 25 army officers, in two cases over crimes against humanity involving enforced disappearances and torture during the Awami League regime.
The three-member tribunal, headed by its Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mazumder, set the dates on Sunday, November 23, after a hearing in this regard.
Earlier, around 10:00 am, 13 military officers, who are in the custody of the army, were produced before the ICT-1 in the two cases.
They were brought to the tribunal from a special prison at Dhaka Cantonment through a prison van of the Bangladesh Jail amid tight security.
On October 26, the tribunal set November 20 for a further hearing in the two cases, but the hearing was rescheduled for November 23 following the prosecution’s plea.
On October 8, the tribunal issued arrest warrants against 30 accused, including Hasina, her security adviser Major General (retd) Tariq Ahmed Siddique, and five former directors of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI).
The tribunal had ordered the accused to appear on October 22.
Following their appearance, 13 military officers were sent to jail.
The 13 army officers sent to jail were former RAB Additional DG Brig Gen Md Jahangir Alam, Brig Gen Tofail Mostafa Sarwar, Brig Gen Md. Kamrul Hasan, Brig Gen Md Mahbub Alam, Brig KM Azad, Colonel Abdullah Al Momen, and Colonel Anwar Latif Khan (currently on retirement leave).
Others included former RAB Intelligence Directorate heads Lt Col Md Moshiur Rahman, Lt Col Saiful Islam Sumon, Lt Col Md. Sarwar bin Kashem, former DGFI Director Major Gen Sheikh Md Sarwar Hossain, Brig Gen Mahbubur Rahman Siddique, and Brig Gen Ahmed Tanvir Majahar Siddique.
Separately, hearings are scheduled for November 24 for Lt Col Redwanul Islam and Major Md Rafat bin Alam Mun, who were arrested over allegations of killing 28 people in Rampura during July and August.
Following the issuance of the arrest warrants, the army announced on October 11 that 15 serving officers would be taken into custody.
To facilitate detention, the Ministry of Home Affairs declared a building in Dhaka Cantonment to be temporarily used as a jail on October 12.
With inputs from UNB