Staff Reporter:
The trial of former Major General Ziaul Ahsan in crimes against humanity case over more than 100 al-leged 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 Mor-tuza Mozumder. Ziaul Ahsan, the sole accused in the case, will be represented by a team of defence law-yers, 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 of-ficer, 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 po-lice reports to conceal the actual causes of death.
According to his testimony, the main objective of such investigations was to ensure that those responsi-ble for the killings escaped accountability.
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.
