Ziaul Ahsan faces formal crimes against humanity charges at ICT

The International Crimes Tribunal has formally accepted charges against Major General (retd) Ziaul Ahsan, former director general of the National Telecommunications Monitoring Centre (NTMC), in a high-profile case alleging enforced disappearances and murders spanning numerous incidents, officials said on Wednesday (December 17).

Prosecutors submitted the formal complaint before International Crimes Tribunal-1 in this morning, and the tribunal has taken cognisance of the charges and directed further proceedings, according to court sources.

The prosecution alleges that Ziaul Ahsan was involved in a widespread pattern of abductions and killings, with victims subjected to enforced disappearance and their bodies allegedly disposed of in rivers and other locations to prevent recovery.

Sources say the formal complaint was lodged amid ongoing investigations into his alleged central role in serious human rights abuses under previous administrations. The case will move forward with the tribunal scheduling hearings as part of the judicial process.

Ziaul Ahsan, a retired senior army officer, has been under investigation in connection with multiple allegations, including enforced disappearances and killings, as part of broader proceedings by the tribunal.

The filing of formal charges marks a significant development in the tribunal’s efforts to prosecute crimes against humanity cases dating from politically sensitive periods in Bangladesh’s recent history.