Former Army chief to testify against Ziaul Ahsan at ICT

Former Army chief Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan would testify at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in the crimes against humanity case against dismissed Army officer Ziaul Ahsan, accused of widespread enforced disappearances and killings during the Awami League regime.

ICT Chief Prosecutor Advocate Muhammad Tajul Islam disclosed the matter on Thursday while presenting counter-arguments against defence objections to the framing of charges before ICT-1.

During the hearing, the chief prosecutor read out excerpts from the statement given by Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan to the investigation officer.

In the statement, the former Army chief detailed what he described as Ziaul’s direct involvement in brutal and unlawful activities, including enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.

According to the statement, Bhuiyan at one stage requested Lt Gen (retd) Mujibur Rahman to intervene to keep Ziaul Ahsan under control. Following the intervention, incidents of so-called “crossfire” killings reportedly declined temporarily, although the crimes continued in other forms.

The statement further noted that after Ziaul assumed office as additional director general of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), there was a sharp increase in abnormal killings. Subsequent efforts were made to restrain him through Brig Gen (retd) Jaglul Ahmed.

In Bhuiyan’s account, Jaglul reportedly told him that there was no way to reason with Ziaul as his head “was stuffed with stones”, the prosecution said.

Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam told the tribunal that the former Army chief would appear as a prosecution witness during the trial.

The tribunal fixed 14 January for passing an order on the formal framing of charges against Ziaul.

Earlier in the day, police produced Ziaul before the tribunal from prison under tight security, and the hearing took place in his presence.