Dhaka: The prosecution at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 has made a formal plea to frame charges against 17 individuals, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her ex-security adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddique, in connection with a case concerning enforced disappearances and alleged torture at the Taskforce for Interrogation (TFI) Cell during the tenure of the previous Awami League government.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam presented the plea during a hearing. In contrast, the legal representative for 10 detained army officials argued for their discharge from the case. The tribunal has scheduled December 14 for delivering its order on this matter and has dismissed a defense request to exempt the 10 army officials from appearing in future hearings.
The accused army officials include Md Jahangir Alam, Tofayel Mostafa Sarwar, Md Qamrul Hasan, Md Mahabub Alam, KM Azad, Abdullah Al Momen, Md Moshiur Rahman Jewel, Saiful Islam Suman, Md Sarwar Bin Qashem, and Anwar Latif Khan. The other seven accused, including Sheikh Hasina, Tarique Ahmed Siddique, and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, have not yet been apprehended and are being tried in absentia.
Earlier, the tribunal appointed Advocate Amir Hossain as the state defense counsel for Sheikh Hasina in the related cases of enforced disappearances and torture at both the TFI Cell and the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC). On October 8, the tribunal acknowledged charges against all 30 accused in the two cases. The charges in the TFI Cell case specifically name 17 individuals, including Sheikh Hasina and Tarique Ahmed Siddique.
Other accused individuals in the case are former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed, M Khurshid Hossain, Barrister Md Harun Ur Rashid, Anwar Latif Khan, Md Khairul Islam, and Saiful Islam Suman.