Staff Correspondent:

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has found proof of enforced disappearance, rape, and torture against former additional superintendent of police (ASP) of Barishal Range and RAB commander Alep Uddin, the tribunal’s Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam said on Thursday (February 20).

“The charges against him [Alep] are most serious. He was involved in the enforced disappearance and torture of countless people,” Tajul told journalists after Alep was produced in the tribunal.

“This Alep Uddin disappeared many and kept them locked up for years. He tortured them in the most cruel ways,” Tajul added.

“The most heinous act committed by this Alep Uddin was that he threatened the wife [of killing her husband] of an enforced disappearance victim and raped her multiple times during the month of Ramadan, after forcing her to break her fast.

“We have received such information and evidence,” Tajul said.

The former ASP is accused of torturing [victims] with electric shocks, blindfolding, and beating after hanging them upside down, the ICT prosecutor stated.

He noted that the tribunal has been informed of the matter.

“It will take time to investigate the crimes of such a cruel criminal because every day the victims are bringing new allegations to us. Our investigation agency is working day and night to submit an investigation report and start the formal trial process after these investigations are completed,” he added.

Alep was produced along with former superintendent of police (SP) of Betbunia Police Special Training Centre Mohiuddin Farooqui.

Alep was arrested from the Barishal metropolitan area on the night of 13 November, and Farooqui was arrested from the Kaukhali (Betbunia) area of Rangamati district on the same day.

“Farooqui is involved in the enforced disappearance of numerous people. The victims of the disappearances were kept in various Aynaghar, including in his office, and tortured in the most inhuman and cruel ways,” said ICT Chief Prosecutor Tajul.

“He is a mastermind in the matter of torture. He has special qualities in this regard. After the Aynaghar was exposed, the victims found the courage and are bringing their complaints one by one to our tribunal. We are conducting our investigation into those complaints.”

Earlier today, 10 officials, including a former police chief and a former director general of NTMC, were produced before the International Crimes Tribunal on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity during the July-August uprising.

They were brought to the tribunal in two separate prison vans from Kashimpur Central Jail and Keraniganj Central Jail.

The former officials include former inspector general of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, former director general of NTMC Major General (retd) Ziaul Ahsan, former superintendent of Dhaka Police Md Abdullahhil Kafi, former OC of Jatrabari Police Station Abul Hasan, former DC of DMP Mirpur Zone Md Jasim Uddin Molla, former additional superintendent of Dhaka (Savar Circle) Md Shahidur Islam, former inspector of DB Dhaka North Md Arafat Hossain and former OC of DMP Gulshan Police Station Md Mazharul Haque.

Earlier, on 27 October, a three-member judicial panel, led by ICT Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder, granted the prosecution’s application and ordered the former law enforcement officials to be produced in the court.