The hearing of former and current army officers — including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina — in two cases of crimes against humanity linked to alleged torture and enforced disappearances at the Task Force Interrogation (TFI) cell and the Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC) during the previous Awami League government is scheduled for Sunday.
Thirteen army officers have so far been arrested in the two cases.
However, defence lawyers have requested that the accused be allowed to appear virtually at the next hearing instead of in person.
On Sunday morning, lawyer Maidul Islam Palak submitted the application to the registrar’s office of the International Crimes Tribunal on behalf of several accused. He confirmed the development to Dhaka Tribune.
A three-member bench led by Tribunal-1 Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder is set to hear the two cases today.
Reports on the execution of arrest warrants for the military officers and the appointment of state defence counsel for fugitive accused may also be presented.
The 13 arrested army officers are: former RAB Additional Director General Brig Gen Md Jahangir Alam, Brig Gen Tofail Mostafa Sarwar, Brig Gen Md Kamrul Hasan, Brig Gen Md Mahabub Alam, Brig Gen KM Azad, Col Abdullah Al Momen, Col Anwar Latif Khan (PRL), former RAB intelligence wing director Lt Col Md Mashiur Rahman, Lt Col Saiful Islam Sumon, Lt Col Md Sarwar Bin Kashem, former DGFI director Maj Gen Sheikh Md Sarwar Hossain, Brig Gen Md Mahbubur Rahman Siddiqui, and Brig Gen Ahmed Tanvir Mazahar Siddiqui.
Security has been heightened around the tribunal since morning ahead of the officers’ appearance. Police, BGB, and RAB personnel have been deployed around the tribunal and Supreme Court premises, with officials saying they are prepared for any situation.
The cases were earlier scheduled for hearing on November 20, but the date was shifted following a prosecution plea. The order was issued by the two-member Tribunal-1 bench led by Justice Md Shafiul Alam Mahmud on October 26.
On October 22, the 13 detained officers were produced before the tribunal. Following the hearing, the tribunal ordered their arrest and sent them to jail. It also directed that notices be published in two national newspapers within seven days for the fugitive accused to appear in court — notices that have since been published.
The prosecution filed formal charges on October 8 against 30 individuals across the two cases. The tribunal later accepted the charges and issued arrest warrants.
Sheikh Hasina and 17 others have been charged in the TFI case, where 10 of the arrested officers are accused of involvement in torture inside a secret cell operated by RAB’s interrogation unit.
In the JIC — or “Aynaghar” — enforced disappearance case, 13 individuals are accused, including Sheikh Hasina and Tariq Ahmed Siddique.
