Landmark Trial: 15 Serving Army Officers Jailed for Rights Abuses

In a development that has sent shockwaves through Bangladesh's political and military establishment, the country’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) on Wednesday ordered 15 serving military officers to jail. The officers will face trial on grave charges of enforced disappearances, murders, and custodial tortures allegedly committed during the tenure of the former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina.The officers, who include a major general, six brigadier generals, and several colonels, lieutenant colonels, and a major, had been in the custody of the Bangladesh Army since the special tribunal ordered their arrest on October 11 to stand trial for alleged crimes against humanity.

Courtroom Proceedings and Security

The 15 officers were produced before the tribunal, chaired by Justice M Golam Mortuza Mojumder, amid extremely tight security. They arrived from the Dhaka Cantonment, where they were held under military custody, in a green-coloured bus under the supervision of prison authorities. They appeared in civilian clothes, flanked by heavy police in riot gear and paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) forces.Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam confirmed the tribunal’s decision, stating, "The tribunal has ordered the 15 army officers produced today in connection with the enforced disappearances and murders, and tortures in custody to be sent to jail.” The officers were subsequently returned to a designated “sub-jail” building inside the cantonment under the prison authority's supervision.The tribunal did not entertain any immediate bail petitions. The Chief Prosecutor noted that the officers could submit formal bail applications before the next scheduled hearing, which has been set for November 5. Defence lawyer Barrister Sarwar Hossain informed reporters that the defence team would file two petitions: one seeking bail and another requesting confinement under special custody if bail is ultimately denied.

Warrant Issued Against Fugitive Sheikh Hasina

Adding to the explosive nature of the proceedings, the tribunal also issued an order for the arrest of the “fugitive” former premier Sheikh Hasina and other accused who remain at large, mandating that they be produced before the court.The arrest warrants were initially issued on October 8 against a total of 16 serving army officers and 14 other individuals, including Hasina, over their alleged roles in the "enforced disappearances or abduction and torture of political dissidents" during the previous Awami League regime. While the army confirmed taking 15 officers into military custody, the 16th officer—a former military secretary to Hasina—remains at large, prompting steps to prevent his potential flight abroad.

Political and Military Turmoil

These unprecedented legal developments are unfolding against a backdrop of severely heightened political tensions in Bangladesh, with general elections expected in February next year. The current interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has enacted amendments to the tribunal law, enabling it to prosecute leaders and officials of the previous Hasina regime for alleged rights abuses.The decision to try serving army officers in a civil court under the amended ICT-BD law, rather than through the military’s own judicial system, has reportedly triggered significant unease within the armed forces. Security analysts and former army officers have voiced concerns that this move could negatively affect the morale of the military establishment.The gravity of the situation was underscored when an ICT-BD prosecutor was forced to issue a warning that the 15 officers would be declared “fugitives” if they failed to appear on Wednesday, adding pressure on the army to comply with the tribunal's mandate.The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which emerged as a key political force after the change in government, has already cautioned the interim government against actions that could antagonize the army. BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed explicitly warned Yunus during a meeting with political parties that the nation could not afford the creation of any “imbalance in the armed forces” ahead of the crucial general elections.The ICT-BD, originally established by the Hasina government in 2010 to try local collaborators of the Pakistani forces during the 1971 Liberation War, is now being used to address alleged rights abuses that occurred during the very regime that created it, symbolizing a dramatic reversal of political fortune in Bangladesh. As most senior Awami League leaders are now either in jail or in hiding, the country remains volatile, with party activists continuing to stage flash protests despite intense police crackdowns.