UN calls for prompt civilian court trial for detained Bangladesh Army officers

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called on Bangladeshi authorities to swiftly produce the army officers held in military custody before a “competent” civilian court. The appeal came on Wednesday in an OHCHR media statement, days after Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal issued arrest warrants in three cases of crimes against humanity, including enforced disappearances and torture, allegedly carried out during the tenure of the previous government. The charges are linked to incidents reported at two facilities -- the Taskforce for Interrogation (TFI) Cell and the Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC). The tribunal has accepted formal charges and issued arrest warrants against 25 officers, mostly former, but also including some serving members of the Bangladesh Army. According...