The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has filed a formal complaint at the International Crimes Tribunal against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former Law Minister Anisul Huq, former Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed, and 13 other top officials, accusing them of involvement in 11 cases of enforced disappearance.
The complaint was submitted on Sunday, July 13, by Salahuddin Khan, a central executive committee member of the BNP and the coordinator of the party’s information cell.
Several family members of the victims accompanied him during the submission to Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tazul Islam.
The Chief Prosecutor assured that the allegations would be investigated thoroughly, and that appropriate legal actions would follow based on the findings.
According to the BNP’s complaint, the enforced disappearances occurred between 2019 and August 2024, before the fall of the previous Awami League government.
The victims’ families allege that their relatives were targeted solely for their political affiliation with BNP and were subjected to brutal state-sponsored repression.
The complaint claims that these disappearances were carried out under direct or indirect instructions from individuals holding top government positions at the time, including ministers, high-ranking law enforcement officials, and administrative figures.
This is the first time that formal complaints of enforced disappearance have been submitted against a former Prime Minister and senior cabinet members at the International Crimes Tribunal, marking a significant development in post-regime accountability efforts following the political upheaval of 2024.
