15 Bangladesh Army officers arrested for 'enforced disappearances' during Hasina regime

The Bangladesh Army connected Saturday announced that it has taken into custody 15 serving officers implicit the alleged cases of enforced disappearances during the tenure of erstwhile Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who stepped down pursuing student-led protests successful August 2024.The army’s enactment comes 3 days aft Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) issued warrants for 25 subject officers, AFP reported. The tribunal is prosecuting erstwhile elder figures linked to Hasina’s authorities and her now-banned Awami League party.“The 15 serving officers person been taken into custody. They are detached from their families and are being held successful high-security detention with guards and different indispensable arrangements,” Major General Md Hakimuzzaman, the army’s adjutant general, told reporters astatine the subject office successful Dhaka.The remaining 10 see 9 retired officers and 1 who is connected permission pending retirement, the elder service authoritative added.Hakimuzzaman acknowledged that the arrests would interaction unit morale up of the wide elections, apt to beryllium held successful February 2026.“I can’t contradict that the apprehension warrants against subject officers are affecting us, but we volition stay steadfast successful ensuring justice,” helium remarked.The country’s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus and which took complaint days aft Hasina’s ouster, formed the committee to analyse the disappearance cases.

It has truthful acold received astir 1,700 complaints.The accused officers are expected to look earlier the ICT connected October 22.This marks the archetypal clip specified a ample fig of senior-ranking serving and retired information officials are apt to look civilian trials successful Bangladesh.India’s eastbound neighbour witnessed large-scale student-led protests that began successful July past twelvemonth against authorities occupation quotas. However, the question took a melodramatic crook aft a bloody authorities crackdown, yet starring to Sheikh Hasina’s resignation connected August 5 — she near for India soon aft resigning.