The International Crimes Tribunal-1 has officially accepted charges against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her defense affairs adviser Major General (Retd.) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, and 28 others in two cases related to enforced disappearances during the Awami League government’s tenure. Following the hearing, the tribunal also issued arrest warrants for all accused.
On Wednesday (October 8), prosecutors formally submitted the charge sheets to the tribunal. After reviewing the submissions, the tribunal ordered the charges to be taken into cognizance and directed the immediate issuance of arrest warrants.
The cases accuse Sheikh Hasina and several former top officials — including former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed — of being directly responsible for the abduction, illegal detention, and torture of opposition political figures. The allegations claim that victims were held in secret cells operated by the Rapid Action Battalion’s (RAB) Task Force Interrogation (TFI) unit.
The formal charges were filed under the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, marking the first time a sitting or former head of government has been accused in an enforced disappearance case of this scale in Bangladesh’s history.
In a separate case, the tribunal also accepted charges against four accused, including former Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) officer Lt. Col. Redwanul Islam, for crimes against humanity linked to the July–August 2024 student and mass protests. The accused are alleged to have been involved in the killing of 28 protesters in Dhaka’s Rampura area.
Other accused in this case include Major Md. Rafat Bin Alam Moon (BGB), former DMP ADC (Khilgaon Zone) Md. Rashedul Islam, and former Rampura Police Station OC Md. Mashiur Rahman. Witness accounts and investigations suggest that Redwanul Islam personally opened fire on demonstrators, while the others supervised or coordinated the attack.
After a detailed investigation, the tribunal’s investigation agency submitted reports confirming their involvement, leading to the filing of formal charges and the issuance of arrest warrants for all four.
