Three senior army officers were presented before Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal on Tuesday in connection with a case alleging enforced disappearances and torture at the Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC) during the Awami League government’s tenure. The officers—Major General Sheikh Md. Sarwar Hossain, Brigadier General Md. Mahbubur Rahman Siddiqui, and Brigadier General Ahmed Tanvir Majhar Siddiqui—were brought from a special military prison in Dhaka under tight security.

The case lists 13 accused, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as the principal defendant, along with her former defense adviser Tariq Ahmed Siddiq and ten others who remain fugitives. Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tazul Islam previously filed five charges detailing the alleged torture of 26 victims between 2015 and 2024. The tribunal, chaired by Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Mozumdar, began hearings with both state defense and defense counsel present.

Legal analysts note that this is one of the most politically sensitive cases in recent years, potentially testing the scope of accountability for alleged human rights violations by state institutions. Further hearings are expected in the coming weeks.