15 Bangladeshi Army Officers Detained For Crimes Under Sheikh Hasina Regime

In what is being seen as a rare development, at least 15 Army officers have been taken into custody over alleged serious crimes under the previous regime under former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The detentions came after the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) issued arrest warrants for 25 army officers in connection with three cases before the tribunal in connection with the protests that led to the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024.

The army officers have been placed in military custody, officials said.

Army's Adjutant General, Major General Mohammad Hakimuzzaman, said, "Directives were issued asking 16 officers to report to the army headquarters. Fifteen of them responded."

"You have seen the chargesheet. The entire list has around 25 names. Among these 25, those who have been dismissed or retired are nine. One person is on Leave Prior to Retirement. 15 are serving officers. So, the law does not fully apply to those who have retired. For those who are serving and are on LPR, 15 + 1, we have given them an attachment order to come into military custody. In any government service, even if someone is transferred from one place to another, they are given some time, which is called journey time, and they are given some time to join, which is called joining time. They were told to come to Dhaka Cantonment by October 8," Hakimuzzaman added.

The Chief Prosecutor in the case, Mohammad Tajul Islam, has demanded that the officers be brought before the court for trial. The prosecution has formally charged 28 individuals, including the ousted PM Sheikh Hasina and 23 top and mid-ranking current and former army officers.

According to the Army, they have not received a warrant in hand, and it will follow the provisions of the Constitution. Taking officers who face allegations into custody first is an established practice, the army said, and any action is taken only after a verdict, as per military practice for the last 54 years.

The army said only one person has not responded to its notice, and that is Major General Kabir Ahmed, who is a two-star officer of the Bangladesh Army and former military Secretary to the ex-Prime Minister. Ahmed was being investigated by the International Crimes Tribunal for his activities during his tenure as Director General of Forces Intelligence. The army has not been able to establish contact with the officer, and he has been declared AWOL (Absent Without Leave).

The issue has the potential to transform into a fresh round of confrontation between the Army and the interim administration, as this is the first time in Bangladesh's history that serving military officers have been charged in a civil court for alleged crimes against humanity.

While the previous instances have been denied by both the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus and the Army Chief General Wakar Uz Zaman, the current issue could snowball as the tribunal has issued instructions to relevant agencies, including the police and the services, to arrest them.