ICT hears Gazipur madrasa principal was tortured, killed and dumped in Dhaleshwari river

The prosecution told International Crimes Tribunal-1 today that a madrasa principal was forcibly disappeared from his institution in 2023, tortured for 18 days in secret detention, and later killed, with his body dumped in the Dhaleshwari river in Dhaka to conceal the crime.

While proposing formal charges in a crimes against humanity case against five accused, prosecutor Tareque Abdullah told the tribunal that Abul Hossain Al-Amin, principal of a madrasa in Gazipur, was taken from his institution on January 30, 2023, and detained at the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) office in Dhaka. He was subjected to torture during his detention and later died at the Central Police Hospital on February 18 that year.

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The prosecutor further said that after his death, his body was taken to Tulshikhali Bridge in Keraniganj and dumped into the Dhaleshwari river in an attempt to conceal the killing.

The tribunal today took cognisance of formal charges against five former police officials, including former CTTC chief Md Asaduzzaman, over the alleged enforced disappearance of seven people and killing of Al-Amin in 2023.

The other accused are former CTTC additional deputy commissioner Ishtiaq Ahmed, former police inspectors Asaduzzaman Hira and Mezbah Uddin Ahmed, and former sub-inspector Touhidul Islam Sumon.

According to the formal charge, the accused were involved in abduction, enforced disappearance, illegal detention, torture and extrajudicial killings targeting political opponents and dissenters.

Ishtiaq is currently in custody, while the other four are absconding. The tribunal issued arrest warrants against them.