The chief prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal on Sunday alleged that retired lieutenant general Masud Uddin Chowdhury was the ‘main mastermind’ behind the inhuman acts and crimes against humanity committed during the military-backed caretaker government that assumed office through events on January 11, 2007.

Speaking at a briefing at his office, the chief prosecutor said that Masud Uddin and several others had effectively run the government during the ‘1/11’ regime.

‘Masud Uddin was the  main architect behind the inhuman incidents and crimes against humanity committed during that period,’ he said.

The remarks came just three days after Masud Uddin was shown arrested by the ICT-2 on May 7 in a crimes against humanity case linked to the 2024 July mass uprising during the Awami League regime.

The tribunal also allowed the investigators to interrogate him for one day.

The chief prosecutor said that Masud Uddin was interrogated on Saturday and investigators were now verifying the information he had provided.

‘During the 1/11 government, Masud Uddin and several others were considered the de facto government. They practically ran the entire administration,’ he said.

He added that the prosecution and the tribunal’s investigation agency were examining the statements made by Masud Uddin and would interrogate him again if necessary.

Replying to another question, the chief prosecutor said that allegations against Masud Uddin were not limited to the 1/11 period.

‘He also has involvement in incidents related to the July mass uprising. There are allegations of his connections with many activities carried out during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure. We are looking into all these matters as part of the investigation,’ he said.

The chief prosecutor further said that Masud Uddin had been brought under the tribunal’s jurisdiction following his arrest in one case, but investigators were not limiting their inquiry to any specific incident.

‘It is not confined to Feni or any single incident. We are investigating all incidents of crimes against humanity in which his involvement may be found,’ the chief prosecutor said.

Masud Uddin was arrested at Baridhara in Dhaka on March 23 and has since been placed on remand in several cases.

He served as the General Officer Commanding of the Ninth Division of the Bangladesh Army in 2007 and is said to have played a key role during the January 11, 2007 political changeover.

He later became coordinator of the National Coordination Committee on Combating Serious Crimes, which led the anti-corruption drives during the caretaker government period.