All 1/11 key actors under intelligence net

All key actors of the “One-Eleven” period have come under the intelligence net. They are currently being kept under scrutiny while allegations against them are being verified, and arrests are being made where evidence is found. As part of this process, dismissed Lt Col Afzal Naser was arrested from the capital’s DOHS area late on Sunday night. By court order, he has been placed on a six-day remand for questioning.

Officials concerned say that around a dozen more officers are under strict surveillance over allegations of enforced disappearances, killings, extortion and fraud during the One-Eleven period and the subsequent government of Sheikh Hasina. Investigators are speaking to many officials who served in various agencies at the time to verify information, and the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police has confirmed that they may be summoned for questioning if necessary.

Sources say many of the officials are currently in Dubai, the United States and Malaysia, and opinions are being sought from the Foreign Ministry on bringing them back.

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They also allege that then Major Sultanuzzaman Saleh played a key role under retired Major General ATM Amin, coordinating operations nationwide and facilitating extortion. He was later promoted within DGFI and eventually retired as a major general, facing multiple serious allegations, including an EVM-related scandal.

Investigators have identified around 18 military and civilian officials allegedly involved in the events and subsequent crimes, including four former service chiefs. Arrested former Lt Gens Masud Uddin Chowdhury and Sheikh Mamun Khaled have provided key information, now under verification.

DB Joint Commissioner Mohammad Nasirul Islam said significant information has been obtained despite attempts by the accused to evade questioning.

Separately, prosecutors told the court that Afzal Naser, a former director of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), had obstructed medical treatment for former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. He has been remanded in connection with a murder case linked to violence during the July 2024 protests, in which a demonstrator later died from gunshot injuries.