Sheikh Hasina was kept under my custody during Ershad era: Aman Azmi during cross-examination

Former army officer Abdullahil Aman Azmi said during cross-examination that Sheikh Hasina, Matia Chowdhury and Sahara Khatun had been detained and kept under his custody at a residence on Hare Road in the capital in 1983 during Hussain Muhammad Ershad’s military rule.

Azmi made the remarks on Monday before International Crimes Tribunal-1 while being cross-examined by defence counsel Azizur Rahman in a crimes against humanity case, filed over alleged enforced disappearances at the Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC) during the Awami League government.

During cross-examination, Abdullahil Aman Azmi said, “I met Sheikh Hasina several times in 1983. During Ershad’s military rule, I lived in a house on Hare Road with my company and carried out martial law duties. At that time, Sheikh Hasina, Matia Chowdhury and Sahara Khatun were detained and kept there under my custody for several days.”

He also said during cross-examination that the interim government had promoted him to the ranks of Major General and Lieutenant General through a gazette notification issued on 5 February 2026.

He said, however, as no formal order regarding the promotions had yet been issued by the army, he used the designation Brigadier General (retd.) in his deposition.

In response to questions from defence counsel, witness Azmi also said the army had paid him Tk 40 million as house rent following his application. He denied that the payment had been made as compensation for his detention, as allegedly recommended by a court of inquiry.

In the case over enforced disappearances at the JIC, three of the 13 accused are currently being held in a sub-jail. They are three former directors of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) — Major General Sheikh Md Sarwar Hossain, Brigadier General Md Mahbubur Rahman Siddiqui and Brigadier General Ahmed Tanvir Mazahar Siddiqui. All three were produced before the tribunal today, Monday.

The remaining 10 accused are fugitives. They include five former directors general of DGFI — Lieutenant General (retd.) Md Akbar Hossain, Major General (retd.) Md Saiful Abedin, Lieutenant General (retd.) Md Saiful Alam, Lieutenant General (retd.) Ahmed Tabrez Shams Chowdhury and Major General (retd.) Hamidul Haque.

Other fugitive accused include former DGFI directors Major General (retd.) Mohammad Touhidul Ul Islam, Major General Kabir Ahmad and Lieutenant Colonel (retd.) Makhsurul Haque.

Also among the fugitives are former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, ousted in the July mass uprising, and her defence adviser Major General (retd.) Tarique Ahmed Siddique.