Enforced Disappearances at TFI Cell: Order on Charges Against 17 Due Today

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 is set to deliver an order today regarding the formal framing of charges against 17 individuals, including 10 detained military officers.

They are accused of crimes against humanity involving enforced disappearances and torture at the Task Force for Interrogation (TFI) cell during the Awami League’s lengthy tenure.

A three-member judicial panel, headed by ICT-1 Chairman Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Majumdar, will pass the order this Sunday (December 21). The ruling will determine whether the trial against the accused will officially commence.

The Accused

A total of 17 individuals have been named in the case, including ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Among them, the 10 military officers currently in custody are:

• Brigadier General Md. Jahangir Alam (Former Additional DG, RAB)
• Brigadier General Tofayel Mostafa Sarwar
• Brigadier General Md. Kamrul Hassan
• Brigadier General Md. Mahabub Alam
• Colonel KM Azad
• Colonel Abdullah Al Momen
• Colonel Anwar Latif Khan (on LPR)
• Colonel Md. Mashiur Rahman (Former Director, Intelligence Wing, RAB)
• Lieutenant Colonel Saiful Islam Suman
• Lieutenant Colonel Md. Sarwar Bin Kashem

The remaining fugitives in the case include Sheikh Hasina's former Defense Advisor Major General (Retd.) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former IGP Benazir Ahmed, former RAB DGs M Khurshid Hossain and Barrister Harun-or-Rashid, and former RAB Director Lt. Col. (Retd.) Md. Khairul Islam.

Legal Arguments

During the hearings on December 14, defense lawyers Hamidul Misbah and Tabarak Hossain represented the detained officers, while state-appointed lawyers and private counsel represented the fugitives, including Sheikh Hasina. The defense sought discharges for their clients, presenting various grounds for dismissal.

Conversely, Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim argued for the commencement of the trial by framing charges against all accused. After hearing both sides, the Tribunal scheduled today for the final order.

Background of the Case

Earlier on December 3, Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam concluded his arguments, describing the horrors of the TFI cell. He remarked that after 16 years of "darkness" marked by enforced disappearances, a "new Bangladesh" emerged on August 5, 2024.

The prosecution detailed that the fate of the disappeared followed two paths: some were eventually shown as arrested and sent to prison, while others were held in secret for 7-8 years before being abandoned in unknown locations.

The 10 officers in military custody were first produced before the Tribunal on October 22, where they were formally shown arrested and sent to jail. On October 8, the prosecution filed formal charges, which the Tribunal took into cognizance, subsequently issuing arrest warrants for all 17 accused.