Enforced disappearance: Salahuddin sues Hasina, 6 others

BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed filed a complaint with the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) yesterday, accusing ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and six top law enforcement officials of their alleged involvement in his disappearance a decade ago.

The other accused include former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal; the then IGP, AKM Shahidul Hoque; the then director general of Rab, Benazir Ahmed; forcibly retired army officer Maj Gen Ziaul Ahsan; the then DMP commissioner, Asaduzzaman Mia; and former head of DMP's Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, Monirul Islam.

"I wanted to lodge the complaint earlier. But, due to my busy schedule, it took some time to gather all the evidence. I've accused seven individuals, but more names may surface if further investigations are conducted," Salahuddin told journalists after submitting the complaint.

He also said, "I urge all victims of enforced disappearance, extrajudicial killings, deaths in custody, and police torture under the fascist regime of Sheikh Hasina to file complaints with the tribunal."

He further urged the government to provide logistical support to the tribunal and to expand the prosecution and investigation teams to accelerate the court proceedings.

When asked whether the BNP would continue the trial process if it came to power, he responded in the affirmative, saying, "Of course. This is not only a promise of the BNP but also what the nation expects. A fair trial will be ensured."

Meanwhile, after receiving the complaint, ICT Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam said it would be immediately forwarded to the investigation agency for further action.

After being missing for 62 days, former state minister Salahuddin was found in Shillong, the capital of the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya, on May 11, 2015.

He was arrested for entering India without valid documents and charged under the Foreigners Act. Later, Shillong police pressed charges against him in the case.

The BNP alleged that Salahuddin was abducted from his home in Uttara, Dhaka, on March 10, 2015, by people posing as police detectives.

On October 26, 2018, a Shillong court acquitted him of the charges related to illegal entry.

A higher court upheld the verdict on February 28, 2023, and directed the Indian government to arrange for his return to Bangladesh.

After the fall of Sheikh Hasina, on August 11, he returned to Bangladesh.