Bangladesh court detains senior military figures in landmark civilian trial
Assalamu alaikum. DHAKA - A Bangladeshi court on Wednesday ordered 15 senior military officers to remain in custody, accusing them of enforced disappearances and abuses during the 2024 unrest that toppled the government. This is the first time formal charges over enforced disappearances have been filed in Bangladesh, and the first occasion so many high-ranking military officials are facing a civilian court.
Among those detained are five generals. Authorities allege they operated a secret detention facility while Sheikh Hasina was in power. Most of the men served in military intelligence or the paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). The army says it will cooperate with the judicial process, though tensions have been high since arrest warrants were issued earlier this month.
"They affirmed their commitment to the law of the land and their respect for the judicial process," prosecutor Tajul Islam told reporters, adding this was reflected in their cooperation. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said on October 15 that the court process is an important step toward accountability and a significant moment for victims and their families.
The officers arrived at court under heavy police guard in a prison vehicle. Bangladesh is prosecuting former senior figures linked to Hasina - who is now living abroad - and her now-banned Awami League. The United Nations estimates up to 1,400 people were killed during clashes between July and August 2024 as security forces moved to suppress anti-government protests. RAB was implicated in numerous killings during Hasina’s rule and faced U.S. sanctions in 2021.
Hasina, 78, left for New Delhi last year and has not returned to attend her trial on charges including crimes against humanity. Her trial in absentia has reached its final stages, with closing arguments from her state-appointed defence. Prosecutors have asked for the death penalty, while Hasina’s party maintains she denies the charges.
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