Ex-CTTC chief among five charged over madrasa principal’s disappearance, killing

Formal charges have been filed with the International Crimes Tribunal against five former police officials, including former Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) chief Asaduzzaman and former additional deputy commissioner Ishtiaq Ahmed, over the alleged abduction, torture, killing and disappearance of a madrasa principal in Gazipur.

The charges were submitted on Wednesday (September 16) based on an investigation report prepared by the investigation agency.

The report, submitted to the tribunal’s prosecution last month, implicated the five officials in the disappearance of Abu Hossain Al Amin, principal of Ibn Masud Madrasa in Gazipur.

According to investigators, Al Amin was allegedly taken from the madrasa on January 30, 2023, by people identifying themselves as members of the Detective Branch. He has not been seen since.

The investigation found that CTTC had arrested six people from different parts of the country two days earlier and that information obtained during their interrogation was subsequently used to detain Al Amin, investigators said.

The report alleges that a CTTC team led by Ishtiaq Ahmed took Al Amin to the unit’s office on Minto Road in Dhaka, where he was subjected to physical torture for 18 days. He reportedly became critically ill and later died at the Central Police Hospital, according to the investigation.

Investigators further allege that, in an attempt to conceal his death, Al Amin’s body was taken to the Tulshikhali Bridge area in Keraniganj and thrown into the Dhaleshwari River.

Prosecutors said investigators recorded statements from 30 people, including eyewitnesses, and examined other evidence in preparing the case. A hearing on framing charges may be held before Tribunal-2 in the next stage of proceedings.