Ex-Army Chief: Ziaul Ahsan Boosted Extrajudicial Killings Under AL

Former Bangladesh Army Chief Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan has testified before the investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal, stating that extrajudicial killings increased abnormally during the tenure of the former Awami League government.

In his deposition, he detailed serious allegations against former military officer Major General (Retd.) Ziaul Ahsan, accusing him of playing a central role in expanding a culture of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions.

In his testimony, Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan also described what he termed arbitrary and authoritarian practices by the ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, within the armed forces over the past one and a half decades of Awami League rule.

Iqbal Karim stated that when Benazir Ahmed assumed charge as Director General of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Ziaul Ahsan simultaneously took responsibility as Additional Director General of RAB. Shortly afterward, information from the Army Security Unit indicated that Colonel Ziaul Ahsan had sharply increased extrajudicial killings.

The same sources reported that Ziaul Ahsan had stationed a personal guard inside his residential tower, kept weapons in his apartment, and installed CCTV cameras throughout the flat.

According to the former army chief, Ziaul Ahsan was immediately instructed to remove the guard, dismantle the cameras, refrain from keeping weapons at home, and strictly follow military regulations governing official residences. However, instead of complying, his conduct reportedly became increasingly undisciplined.

Iqbal Karim further testified that Brigadier General Fazlul informed him of his own interaction with Ziaul Ahsan, saying it felt as though he was speaking to someone whose mind was “filled with stone or bricks,” making him impossible to reason with.

At one stage, leveraging his close ties with then security adviser General Tarique Siddique, MSPM, and his course mate Colonel Mahbub—now a major general—Ziaul Ahsan allegedly began openly challenging the army chief’s directives.

With no other options remaining, Iqbal Karim said he declared Colonel Ziaul Ahsan “persona non grata” within the cantonment west of the railway line, effectively barring him from the area. However, he allowed him to continue residing on the eastern side of the cantonment.

Major General Mizan, the then Log Area Commander, was instructed to enforce the decision, which reportedly resulted in Mizan facing the displeasure of the security adviser for not being informed in advance.

In his deposition, the former army chief concluded that Ziaul Ahsan became even more unruly after assuming the post of Additional Director General of RAB and that during his tenure in that position, the number of extrajudicial killings increased further.