Ex-army officers Masud–Khaled 'allies of AL and criminals': Chief Prosecutor
The Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam has described former Director General of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), Lieutenant General (retd) Sheikh Mamun Khaled, and another former army officer, Lieutenant General (retd) Masud Uddin Chowdhury, as 'associates of the fascist Awami League government' and 'criminals'.
He further said that many of their past activities fall under crimes against humanity.
Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam made these remarks while briefing journalists on Sunday afternoon at the premises of the International Crimes Tribunal.
Earlier today, in the morning, at Tribunal-2, the Chief Prosecutor filed a petition to show Masud Uddin Chowdhury and Sheikh Mamun Khaled arrested in two separate cases of crimes against humanity.
Masud Uddin Chowdhury has been accused in the July massacre, while Sheikh Mamun Khaled has been accused of enforced disappearances.
Following the Chief Prosecutor’s petition, the tribunal ordered that Masud Uddin Chowdhury and Sheikh Mamun Khaled be produced before it on 7 April.
The Chief Prosecutor told journalists, “You have already learned that two associates of 1/11 and the subsequent fascist Awami League government were involved in many acts of crimes against humanity. Masud Uddin Chowdhury and Sheikh Mamun Khaled are two such criminal officers who were involved in destroying democracy and good governance of this country, and were involved in various misdeeds including the ‘Aynaghar’, as well as killings, enforced disappearances, etc. You have seen that they have already been arrested. And they are in police custody or remand in other cases. Their past activities, many of their actions, fall within the defined crimes against humanity.”
Mentioning that it is not possible to disclose all allegations against the two accused at this moment, the Chief Prosecutor said that, subject to investigation, they need to be tried at the International Crimes Tribunal.
From that perspective, today the Office of the Chief Prosecutor has filed the application to show these two persons arrested.
The Chief Prosecutor further said that they believe these criminals should receive appropriate punishment through this tribunal, so that in the future no official in government responsibility dares to commit crimes against humanity.
Lieutenant General (retd) Masud Uddin Chowdhury, known as one of the key actors of 1/11 (army-backed caretaker government in 2007-08), was arrested by DB from his residence in Dhaka last Monday night. Later, on Tuesday, he was taken on a five-day remand through the court in a human trafficking case filed with Paltan police station.
A relevant source said that, alongside the human trafficking case, Masud Uddin Chowdhury is also being interrogated regarding his role during 1/11.
Former DGFI Director General Lieutenant General (retd) Sheikh Mamun Khaled was arrested by DB last Wednesday. The following day, Thursday, the court granted a five-day remand in a murder case related to the July mass uprising under Mirpur police station. He is also being interrogated in DB custody.