Ekramul murder case: Ex-MP Bodi, 3 others sent to jail; Hasina, 6 more ordered to surrender

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) sent former Cox's Bazar-4 MP Abdur Rahman Bodi and three army officials to jail after showing them arrested in a crimes against humanity case over the killing of Teknaf councillor Ekramul Haque in 2018.

The tribunal also ordered newspaper notifications for seven absconding accused, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, directing them to surrender by 7 September to face trial.

Judge Md Monjurul Basid of International Crimes Tribunal-2 passed the orders today (25 August).

The three other accused sent to jail are Brigadier General Miftah Uddin Ahmed, Brigadier General Mahbub Alam and former RAB Director (retd) General Anwar Latif Khan.

All four were produced before the tribunal today. Mahbub and Latif were already in Dhaka Cantonment sub-jail in connection with other cases.

The seven absconding accused are Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former IGP Benazir Ahmed, Major (retd) Ruhul Amin, Lieutenant Commander Ashequr Rahman and former DGFI official Squadron Leader Najmus Sakib Mahmud.

Prosecutor Dr Mohammad Oli Miah conducted the hearing for the prosecution, assisted by prosecutors Farooq Ahammad, Moinul Karim, Marjina Raihan and others.

During the hearing, Oli said the tribunal had taken cognisance of formal charges against 11 people, including Hasina, on 26 July. It had also issued production warrants against three accused and arrest warrants against seven others.

Four accused were subsequently produced before the tribunal, while the seven others could not be traced despite searches at their permanent and temporary addresses, the prosecution said. Non-Execution Reports (NERs) were submitted for all seven.

The prosecution then sought orders to show the four accused arrested in the case and send them to jail, and to publish newspaper notifications directing the seven absconding accused to surrender. The tribunal granted the applications and fixed 7 September for the next hearing.

The prosecution said that if the seven accused do not surrender by 7 September, the tribunal will begin trial proceedings in their absence. State-appointed defence lawyers will then be assigned to them and a date will be set for the charge-framing hearing.

According to the prosecution, Ekramul was picked up from the road in front of Hotel Netong at Kirantoli in Teknaf around 10:30pm on 26 May 2018.

Between 11pm and midnight, he was killed in a reported RAB gunfight on the seashore of Marine Drive at Noakhalia Para under Teknaf Sadar Union.

Ekramul was a councillor of Ward No 3 of Teknaf Municipality and president of the upazila Jubo League.

The prosecution has brought charges including illegal detention, abduction, staging a gunfight to shoot and kill Ekramul, involvement in the crime, instigation, assistance and ordering the murder.