Fifteen military officers, accused in separate cases of crimes against humanity, have been transferred from the International Crimes Tribunal to a sub-jail at Dhaka Cantonment, said Additional Inspector General of Prisons Md Jahangir Kabir on Wednesday. 

The officers were taken from the tribunal premises in a prison van at around 10:00 am. The green-coloured van left the tribunal shortly thereafter.

Their lawyer, M Sarwar Hossain, told reporters after the tribunal hearing that his clients would be held in a sub-jail. Additional Inspector General Md Jahangir Kabir added that the sub-jail at Dhaka Cantonment had been staffed with the necessary personnel.

The cases relate to two incidents of enforced disappearances and human rights violations during the previous Awami League government’s 15-and-a-half-year tenure, as well as killings during the July uprising. 

On 8 October, arrest warrants were issued against a total of 25 former and serving military officers in these three separate cases, following the formal filing of charges by the prosecution on the same day.

On 11 October, the Bangladesh Army announced in a press conference that 15 of the officers had been taken under military custody. Among them, one officer was on Leave Preparatory to Retirement (LPR).

On 12 October, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification declaring a building at Dhaka Cantonment a temporary prison. According to ministry sources, the army had requested that the “MES Building No-54” be temporarily designated as a detention facility following the issuance of the arrest warrants.

The officers were presented before the International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Wednesday morning after 7:00 am. Following the hearing, the tribunal ordered their transfer to the cantonment sub-jail.

The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Golam Mortuza Majumder, issued the order at 8:30 am. The other members of the tribunal are Justice Md Shafiul Alam Mahmud and Judge Md Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury.

Those sent to the sub-jail are Major General Sheikh Md Sarwar Hossain, Brigadier General Md Jahangir Alam, Brigadier General Tofail Mostafa Sarwar, Brigadier General Md Kamrul Hasan, Brigadier General Md Mahabub Alam, Brigadier General Md Mahbubur Rahman Siddiqui, Brigadier General Ahmed Tanvir Majahar Siddiqui, Brigadier KM Azad, Colonel Abdullah Al Momen, Colonel Anwar Latif Khan (on LPR), Lieutenant Colonel Md Moshiur Rahman, Lieutenant Colonel Saiful Islam Sumon, Lieutenant Colonel Md Sarwar Bin Kashem, Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Redwanul Islam, and Major Md Rafat-bin-Alam.