Councillor Ekramul Haque murder case: 4 accused including former MP Badi sent to jail

Abdur Rahman Badi, former member of parliament from Cox’s Bazar-4 constituency, along with three others have been shown arrested and ordered to be sent to jail in the crimes against humanity case filed over the murder of councillor Ekramul Haque in Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar by the International Crimes Tribunal. In the same case, orders have also been given to publish notices in newspapers directing seven absconding accused including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to surrender.

The single bench of Justice Md Manjurul Bashid, member of International Crimes Tribunal-2, passed this order on Tuesday (August 25). The other three accused sent to jail are Brigadier General Miftah Uddin Ahmed, Brigadier General Mahbub Alam and former director general of RAB Anwar Latif Khan. Among them, Miftah Uddin and the four were present in the tribunal on Tuesday. Mahbub Alam and Anwar Latif Khan have been in the sub-jail of Dhaka Cantonment from earlier in other cases.

Apart from Sheikh Hasina, the other absconding accused are former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former IGP Benazir Ahmed, Major (retd) Ruhul Amin, Lieutenant Commander Ashekur Rahman and former DGFI officer Squadron Leader Nazmus Sakib Mahmud.

During the hearing of the case, Dr Mohammad Oli Mia on behalf of the prosecution said that on July 26 the tribunal had taken cognisance of the formal charges brought against 11 persons including Sheikh Hasina. At the same time, production warrants were issued against three and arrest warrants against seven. The seven under warrant could not be found even after searching their permanent and temporary addresses and non-execution reports have been submitted in this regard.

Later the prosecution applied for showing the four accused arrested in this case and sending them to jail as well as publishing notices in newspapers for the seven absconding persons to surrender. After the hearing the tribunal allowed the application. The next hearing of the case has been fixed for September 7.

According to the prosecution’s allegation, Ekramul Haque was picked up from in front of a hotel in Kirantoli of Teknaf around 10:30pm on May 26, 2018. Later the same night he was killed in a so-called gunfight of RAB on the seashore of Marine Drive in Noakhaillya Para of Teknaf Sadar Union. Ekramul Haque was the councillor of Ward No 3 of Teknaf Municipality and president of the upazila Jubo League.

Specific allegations of unlawfully detaining and abducting Ekramul, killing him by shooting after staging the so-called gunfight incident, involvement in the crime, instigation and assistance, and giving the order for murder have been brought against the accused by the prosecution in the case.