A witness has testified before Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal that former army officer Major General Ziaul Ahsan was directly involved in the disappearance of BNP leader M Ilias Ali. The witness, Imrul Kayes, a former soldier who once served as Ahsan’s bodyguard, gave his statement on Sunday in Tribunal-1 during a case concerning crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the Awami League government. Ahsan, who was brought to court under heavy police guard, previously served as head of RAB intelligence and later as director general of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre.

Kayes stated that during his service as Ahsan’s bodyguard for over a year, he witnessed numerous enforced disappearances and killings. He claimed that detainees from RAB-1’s TFI Cell were executed by shooting or lethal injections, estimating that 150 to 200 people were killed through various methods. Overcome with emotion, Kayes said he testified out of moral duty and a desire for justice, expressing hope that no soldier would face such circumstances again.