 "Bangladesh: 5 generals among 15 army officers detained for actions during anti-Hasina protests")
A Bangladeshi court on Wednesday ordered 15 senior army officers into custody over charges of enforced disappearances and crimes committed during the 2024 uprising that overthrew the Sheikh Hasina government.
It marks the first time Bangladesh has filed formal charges related to enforced disappearances, and the first occasion in which so many top-ranking military officials are facing a civilian court.
The defendants, among them five generals, are accused of operating a secret detention facility under the administration of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted last year. All the officers previously served in military intelligence or the country’s paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
The army said it would cooperate fully with the judicial proceedings, though tensions have simmered since arrest warrants were issued earlier this month. “They declared their allegiance to the law of the land and their respect for the judicial process,” chief prosecutor Tajul Islam told reporters. “That was reflected in the cooperation they have extended.”
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk called the developments an “important step towards accountability,” saying in an October 15 statement that the trial represents a significant moment for victims and their families.
The officers were transported to court in a prison van under heavy police guard. The case is part of a broader wave of prosecutions targeting senior figures linked to Hasina, now living in exile in India, and the banned Awami League party.
According to UN estimates, clashes between protesters and security forces during July and August 2024 left as many as 1,400 people dead. Under Hasina’s rule, the RAB was accused of widespread extrajudicial killings, leading to US sanctions against the paramilitary unit in 2021.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsHasina, 78, continues to stay in New Delhi. Her trial in absentia, on charges of crimes against humanity for ordering the deadly crackdown, is nearing conclusion, with her state-appointed lawyers delivering final arguments. Prosecutors have called for the death penalty.
The Awami League maintains that Hasina “categorically denies” all allegations against her.
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