The Bangladesh Army on Saturday announced that it has taken into custody 15 serving officers over their alleged role in enforced disappearances during the tenure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who stepped down following student-led protests in August 2024.The army’s action comes three days after Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) issued warrants for 25 military officers, AFP reported. The tribunal is prosecuting former senior figures linked to Hasina’s government and her now-banned Awami League party.“The 15 serving officers have been taken into custody. They are detached from their families and are being held in high-security detention with guards and other necessary arrangements,” Major General Md Hakimuzzaman, the army’s adjutant general, told reporters at the military headquarters in Dhaka.The remaining 10 include nine retired officers and one who is on leave pending retirement, the senior army official added.Hakimuzzaman acknowledged that the arrests would impact troop morale ahead of the general elections, likely to be held in February 2026.“I can’t deny that the arrest warrants against military officers are affecting us, but we will remain steadfast in ensuring justice,” he remarked.The country’s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus and which took charge days after Hasina’s ouster, formed the commission to investigate the disappearance cases. It has so far received around 1,700 complaints.The accused officers are expected to appear before the ICT on October 22.This marks the first time such a large number of senior-ranking serving and retired security officials are likely to face civilian trials in Bangladesh.India’s eastern neighbour witnessed large-scale student-led protests that began in July last year against government job quotas. However, the movement took a dramatic turn after a bloody government crackdown, eventually leading to Sheikh Hasina’s resignation on August 5 — she left for India shortly after resigning.
