Dhaka – The United Nations human rights office has called on Bangladeshi authorities to swiftly transfer several army officers, detained on charges of crimes against humanity, from military to civilian court custody.
The UN Human Rights Office made the appeal on Wednesday after the Bangladesh Army took 15 serving officers into military custody. This followed arrest warrants issued by a specialized court in Dhaka against them and 15 others, mostly retired officers, for their alleged involvement in the arbitrary detention and torture of political dissidents during the previous administration of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
In a related move, the government designated a building in the Dhaka cantonment as a temporary jail to hold the accused officers during the trial.
The UN’s spokesperson, Ravina Shamdasani, stated that trying the officers in a civilian court is crucial for ensuring a transparent and impartial trial.
“Presenting the military officers, detained on allegations of involvement in serious crimes committed during the previous government’s tenure, before a civilian court is crucial to ensuring a transparent and impartial trial,” she said.
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), which handles crimes against humanity, issued the arrest warrants for 25 former and serving military officers in two cases involving enforced disappearance and torture.
The call from the UN comes amid ongoing debate over the case. On Tuesday, the Ex-Forces Association held a press conference demanding that the officers be tried under military law, not by the ICT. Conversely, the non-governmental organization Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has questioned the decision to keep the accused in military custody.
Shamdasani noted that these are the first formal charges concerning enforced disappearances in Bangladesh, calling it a “significant step for the victims and their families.”
She urged the interim government to ensure a swift and fair trial in accordance with international standards, emphasizing the need to protect the security of victims and witnesses.
She also reiterated the UN’s standing request to not seek the death penalty in any of the cases.
