15 army officers under warrant in custody, one absconding: Army HQ

Fifteen army officers, named in arrest warrants issued by the International Crimes Tribunal for alleged crimes against humanity, are currently in military custody, while one officer remains at large, according to Army Adjutant General Major General Md. Hakimuzzaman.

The announcement was made during a briefing at the Officers' Mess in Dhaka Cantonment on Saturday.

The tribunal issued warrants against 25 current and former army officers in connection with three disappearance cases. Of them, nine are retired, one is on Leave Preparatory to Retirement (LPR), and 15 are active-duty officers.

The officer on LPR and the 15 serving officers are now in custody, while Major General Kabir Ahmed, who left his residence on October 9 to consult a lawyer, has since gone missing and failed to report to army headquarters.

Authorities at ports and airports have been alerted to prevent his departure from the country.

Major General Hakimuzzaman stated that the army has not yet received official copies of the warrants or charge sheets from the tribunal.

He emphasised that the Bangladesh Army is committed to ensuring a fair trial for the accused and upholding justice, with actions against the officers to be taken under the Army Act. No decision has been made on whether the detained officers will be handed over to the police, as the matter is still under review.

The army is investigating Major General Kabir’s whereabouts and will further examine the allegations once the tribunal provides the charge sheet, Hakimuzzaman added.