Ziaul Ahsan Staged ‘Administrative Inquiries’ to Legitimize Killings

Investigator Md. Rafiqul Islam testified before the International Crimes Tribunal-1, revealing that administrative inquiries were deliberately staged to legitimize extrajudicial killings orchestrated by Major General Ziaul Ahsan, widely dubbed ‘Hasina’s butcher.’ Testifying as the 15th prosecution witness, Islam stated that whenever an extrajudicial killing came to light, a show-trial administrative executive inquiry was conducted to validate it. He detailed how controlled administrative investigations were employed to ensure that the actual perpetrators remained safely behind the scenes.

Expanding on the systemic cover-up, Rafiqul Islam further stated that officials were coerced into preparing false and incorrect autopsy and police reports that concealed the actual cause of death. The primary objective of these manipulated documents was to submit controlled investigative reports to protect the real culprits from judicial accountability. This crucial testimony builds upon a deposition that began on September 30, where the investigator shared details regarding visited locations, collected evidence, and how findings connect directly to the formal charges.

The tribunal’s proceedings have progressed swiftly through multiple witness accounts, including a presentation of seized evidence by Kamrul Islam on September 27 and the completed cross-examination of the 13th witness, former RAB official Major (Retd.) Sabbir Rahman. Currently, three specific charges of crimes against humanity have been brought against Ziaul Ahsan. These include the 2011 killing of three individuals in Pubail, widespread killings and enforced disappearances between 2010 and 2023, and the mass killing of 50 people near the Baleshwar River.

Under the third and most severe charge, the prosecution has accused Mr. Ziaul of killing at least 50 people near Charduany Khal in Barguna’s Pathorghata Upazila. Additionally, the second charge covers another 50 deaths, including an individual named Mr. Masud, executed under the guise of suppressing forest bandits along the Baleshwar River and the Sundarbans in Bagerhat between 2010 and 2023. These extensive atrocities led the tribunal to formally arrest Ziaul Ahsan and send him to prison on December 23 of last year.

With the third day of witness testimony concluding recently, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 has set the next date for recording witness depositions for October 11. The ongoing trial continues to unravel the institutional mechanisms and falsified reports utilized by powerful security figures to mask systematic human rights violations. As the prosecution builds its case with tangible evidence and insider testimonies, accountability for these grave crimes inches closer to realization.