Witness testimony links former RAB official Ziaul Ahsan to 2012 disappearance of BNP leader Ilias Ali
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A serving soldier has provided testimony to the International Crimes Tribunal-1 detailing the alleged involvement of retired Major General Ziaul Ahsan in the 2012 enforced disappearance of opposition leader Ilias Ali. The witness, Imrul Kayes, delivered his statement during proceedings centered on charges of crimes against humanity linked to the extrajudicial disappearance and murder of scores of individuals during the tenure of the previous Awami League government.
Kayes, who served as a soldier in the Armored Corps and functioned as a “runner” for the intelligence director of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) between 2010 and 2012, testified that he was present in a vehicle with Ziaul Ahsan and other high-ranking officers near the Mohakhali flyover on April 13, 2012. According to the witness, Ahsan spent that time repeatedly making telephone calls to coordinate the interception of a target.
The witness testified that he left for a nine-day leave shortly after that mission and was informed via media reports upon his return that Ilias Ali had been abducted from the Mohakhali area. Kayes noted that upon returning to his post on April 23, he observed a tense atmosphere at the RAB headquarters, where colleagues informed him that evidence, including weapons logs and CCTV footage, had been destroyed by Ahsan.
In a significant portion of his testimony, Kayes recounted an overheard telephone conversation between Ahsan and Major General (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, who served as the defense advisor to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. According to the soldier, he heard Ahsan complain in a confrontational tone to Siddique, stating that he had successfully “dealt with” Ilias Ali according to their instructions and expressing frustration at the subsequent fallout.
Major General (retd) Ziaul Ahsan, the sole defendant in the case, was present in the courtroom during the proceedings. The testimony marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing tribunal investigations into the systemic use of state security forces for political suppression during the previous administration.
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