Army to Comply with ICT Warrants Against Officers

Reading Time: 2 minutes The Bangladesh Army has confirmed that it will not obstruct the International Crimes Tribunal’s (ICT) directive to arrest 23 serving and retired officers accused of involvement in enforced disappearances, secret detentions and torture during Sheikh Hasina’s long rule. The decision follows an intense internal discussion among senior commanders on April 9, when Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman chaired a meeting originally convened to review procurement plans. Instead, the session quickly shifted to the ICT’s October 8 order, which called for the officers to be taken into custody and presented before the tribunal on October 22. The ICT’s warrant list includes one lieutenant general, four major generals and a number of brigadiers, colonels and majors. The tribunal’s instruction makes it clear that the officers must be handed over to civilian law enforcement before their court appearance, marking a significant departure from traditional military disciplinary procedures. An officer familiar