Bangladesh’s Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam announced that formal charges have been filed against retired Major General Ziaul Ahsan for alleged involvement in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. The tribunal accepted the charges, issuing a production warrant for Ahsan and scheduling the next hearing for December 21. The case accuses him of orchestrating operations that led to the abduction and killing of over 100 people across multiple districts.

According to the prosecution, the charges include three major incidents involving the abduction, torture, and killing of political dissidents and others between Dhaka, Gazipur, and coastal regions like Barguna and the Sundarbans. Victims were allegedly executed and their bodies disposed of in rivers to conceal evidence. The prosecutor claimed that the operations were conducted under the guise of anti-crime or anti-piracy missions.

The tribunal’s move marks a rare legal step against a former senior security official. Human rights groups are expected to closely monitor the proceedings, which could set a precedent for accountability in cases of state-linked disappearances.