The trial of former Major General Ziaul Ahsan in a crimes against humanity case over more than 100 alleged enforced disappearances and killings during the Awami League government will be held with the accused remaining in jail from Tuesday due to security concerns, a prosecutor said.
Prosecutor Gazi M H Tamim said the decision had been taken on security grounds.
The defence lawyers are scheduled to cross-examine investigation officer Md Rafiqul Islam on Tuesday at International Crimes Tribunal-1.
The proceedings will take place before the tribunal’s panel headed by Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder. Ziaul Ahsan, the sole accused in the case, will be represented by a team of defence lawyers, including Shahidur Rahman and Naznin Nahar.
The tribunal completed the deposition of investigation officer Rafiqul Islam on October 8. During his testimony on the third day, he brought several allegations of wrongdoing against the former army officer, including claims that sham administrative investigations were conducted to legitimise extrajudicial killings.
The investigation officer told the tribunal that controlled administrative inquiries were used to shield the actual perpetrators. He alleged that officials were forced to prepare false or misleading autopsy and police reports to conceal the actual causes of death.
According to his testimony, the main objective of such investigations was to ensure that those responsible for the killings escaped accountability.
After completing his testimony, the tribunal scheduled Tuesday for his cross-examination. Rafiqul Islam is the 15th prosecution witness in the case. His testimony began on September 30.
Earlier, on September 27, the tribunal recorded the deposition of Kamrul Islam, the 14th witness, while the cross-examination of former RAB officer Major (retd) Sabbir Rahman, the 13th witness, was completed. The prosecution described Sabbir Rahman as the last eyewitness in the case.
The prosecution has brought three specific charges against Ziaul Ahsan.
The first charge alleges that three people, including Sajal, were killed on the night of July 11, 2011, beside a road in Pubail under Gazipur Sadar Police Station in the presence of Ziaul Ahsan.
The second charge concerns the alleged killing of 50 people, including Nazrul and Mallik, between 2010 and 2013 near the confluence of the Baleshwar River and the Char Duani canal in Char Duani Union of Patharghata upazila in Barguna.
The third charge alleges that another 50 people were killed during the same period under the pretext of operations against so-called forest bandits. According to the prosecution, the killings took place in different areas of the Sundarbans in the Baleshwar River region of Barguna and Sharankhola in Bagerhat. The allegation mentions the killing of 50 people, including Masud.
On December 17 last year, International Crimes Tribunal-1 took cognisance of the three charges against Ziaul Ahsan in the crimes against humanity case. The prosecution submitted the formal charge sheet against him on the same day.
On December 23, the tribunal ordered that he be shown arrested in the case and sent to jail.