Bangladesh Army officers detained amid probe into human rights abuses during Sheikh Hasina's government. Image credit: Dhaka Tribune
(The Post News) – The Bangladesh Army has arrested 15 active officers accused of grave human rights abuses under the regime of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This move follows arrest warrants issued against 32 individuals, including Ms. Hasina and several high-ranking military and intelligence officials, by the International Crimes Tribunal.
Adjutant General of the Army Major General Mohammad Hakimuzzaman said at a press conference on Saturday that 16 officers were called to report to the Army Headquarters, and 15 did. One, Hasina’s former military secretary, Major General Kabir Ahmed, went into hiding.
“Major General Kabir has gone into hiding. We are trying to stop him from leaving the country,” Hakimuzzaman said at a press conference in Dhaka.
Army Custody and Next Steps
Two major generals, six brigadier generals, and several colonels and lieutenant colonels are being held with them. They are in custodial military arrest pending appearance before tribunals on October 22 to see whether they will be granted bail or indicted by the police.
Major General Hakimuzzaman noted that the officers were serving in units like Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) at the time of the alleged commission of the crimes, and not under the direct command of the army.
“However, they are in our custody because they are members of the army,” he stated.
The International Crimes Tribunal charged the accused with abduction, torture, and enforced disappearance of political opponents during protests that rocked Bangladesh in 2023–2024. Human rights activists have documented over 1,400 protesters’ deaths and wholesale violations by the security agencies under Hasina’s regime.
Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam stated, “Those who violated the Constitution and people must be brought to justice. No one is above the law.”
The court, initially set up in 2010 by Hasina’s government to try 1971 war crimes, has now begun to focus on alleged atrocities under her rule. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus’s caretaker government reconstituted the court this year to try such atrocities.
Supporters of Hasina’s Awami League party have accused the caretaker government of political vendetta. To most Bangladeshis, though, the arrests are the first concrete step towards justice and accountability in decades of suppression.
Under Hasina’s 15-year rule, security agencies like RAB and DGFI ran secret detention centers, including the notorious “Aynaghar” (House of Mirrors), where opposition leaders were tortured and disappeared.
Now the same establishments are in the dock.
Analyst Saiful Azam stated, “This is unprecedented. For the first time incumbent officers are being tried by a civil court for acts of violence they carried out on political instructions. It has the potential to redefine Bangladesh’s military-civil balance.”
Uncertain Road Ahead
The army has reiterated that it will have nothing but cooperation with the judiciary. “We have confidence in the Constitution and in due process,” Hakimuzzaman remarked. “Accused officers are arrested as part of normal procedure.”
However, the arrests threaten to trigger a confrontation between the military and the caretaker civilian government as Bangladesh heads towards the February 2026 elections.
Sheikh Hasina, though, is in India, and New Delhi has so far not responded to Dhaka’s extradition requests. Her political fate, and Bangladesh’s fragile democratic transition, remain in the balance.
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