The International Crimes Tribunal-2 on Sunday ordered jail authorities to produce former DGFI chief Lt Gen (retired) Sheikh Mamun Khaled and former army officer Lt Gen (retired) Masud Uddin Chowdhury before it on April 7 in separate cases linked to crimes against humanity.
The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Nozrul Islam Chowdhury, showed the two retired army officers arrested in separate cases after hearing applications filed by chief prosecutor Md Aminul Islam.
The prosecution sought to show Masud Uddin arrested in a complaint related to killings during the July–August 2024 mass uprising in Feni, while Sheikh Mamun was sought in another complaint over enforced disappearances between 2011 and 2013 during his tenure as Directorate General of Forces Intelligence chief.
Speaking at a briefing, the chief prosecutor described the two retired officers as ‘associates of the Awami League government’ and alleged that they were involved in crimes against humanity.
The Awami League government was ousted on August 5, 2024 in the July-August mass uprising.
The chief prosecutor said that the complaints included murders, enforced disappearances, and the use of alleged secret detention facilities such as ‘Aynaghar,’ which undermined democracy and good governance.
However, he added that details of the allegations could not be disclosed now due to the ongoing investigations.
Masud Uddin was arrested from his Dhaka residence on March 24 night by the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police. He is accused in at least 11 cases and was initially shown arrested in a human trafficking case filed with the Paltan police station. He has been placed on a five-day remand and is also being questioned about his role during the ‘1/11’ period, which
refers to the January 11, 2007 military-backed political changeover in Bangladesh.
Sheikh Mamun was detained early on March 26 from his Mirpur DOHS residence. A court later granted a five-day remand in a murder case linked to the July uprising. He is now being interrogated in DB custody.
The prosecution said that both men should face trial after proper investigations.
It also stressed that accountability must be ensured so that no official in the future commits such crimes while in office.
Investigations are going on, and further legal steps will follow, it said.
