The International Crimes Tribunal has ordered four accused, including former Cox’s Bazar-4 MP Abdur Rahman Badi, to be sent to jail in a crimes against humanity case over the alleged killing of Teknaf councillor Ekramul Haque in a staged gunfight in Cox’s Bazar.
The tribunal also ordered newspaper notices seeking the surrender of seven other accused, including ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who are absconding in the case.
The other three accused sent to jail are Brigadier General Miftah Uddin Ahmed, Brigadier General Mahbub Alam and former RAB director general Anwar Latif Khan. All four were produced before the tribunal on Tuesday. Mahbub and Anwar are already detained at the Dhaka Cantonment sub-jail in connection with another case.
A single-member bench of International Crimes Tribunal-2, headed by Judge Md Manjurul Bashid, passed the order following a prosecution petition.
Apart from Sheikh Hasina, the other absconding accused are former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed, Major (retd) Ruhul Amin, Lieutenant Commander Ashequr Rahman and former DGFI officer Squadron Leader Nazmus Shakib Mahmud.
Prosecutor Dr Mohammad Oli Mia appeared for the prosecution, accompanied by prosecutors Faruk Ahmed, Moinul Karim, Marjina Raihan and others.
During the hearing, Oli told the tribunal that it had taken formal charges against 11 people, including Sheikh Hasina, into cognizance on July 26. The tribunal also issued production warrants against three accused and arrest warrants against seven.
Four accused were produced before the tribunal on Tuesday, while the whereabouts of the remaining seven could not be established despite searches at their permanent and temporary addresses. Non-execution reports (NERs) were subsequently submitted to the tribunal.
The prosecution then sought orders to send the four accused to jail in connection with the case and publish newspaper notices asking the remaining seven to surrender.
After the hearing, the tribunal approved the prosecution's petitions, ordered the four accused to be sent to jail and set September 7 for the next hearing.
The case
According to the prosecution, Ekramul Haque was picked up from a road in front of Hotel Netong in Kerantoli, Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, at around 10:30pm on May 26, 2018.
He was allegedly killed in a staged gunfight with RAB personnel between 11pm and midnight on Marine Drive in Noakhalia Para, Teknaf Sadar Union.
Ekramul was a councillor of Ward No. 3 of Teknaf municipality and president of the upazila unit of Jubo League.
The prosecution has brought charges against the accused of illegal detention, abduction, shooting and killing through a staged gunfight, involvement in and instigation of crimes, aiding and abetting, and ordering the killing.