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The International Crimes Tribunal has found preliminary evidence that around 250 people who went missing during the previous Awami League government have not returned, Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam said on Tuesday.
He said the investigation had established that the individuals were allegedly abducted by law enforcement personnel and that the disappearances had been classified as crimes against humanity.
“We have received complaints from the families of around 250 missing people. We have already found preliminary evidence supporting the allegations. All 250 remain missing, and we have confirmed that they were abducted by law enforcement agencies,” Aminul said at a press conference at his office.
He said investigators were recording statements from family members of each victim and had identified locations where several of the alleged abductions took place.
“The investigation is being conducted case by case for each family. This takes time because we want to ensure the investigation is thorough and accurate,” he said.
According to the chief prosecutor, the cases of people who remain missing are being treated as continuing crimes, and the tribunal has classified the alleged enforced disappearances as crimes against humanity.
Aminul said his office would investigate the allegations without considering the political affiliation, religion or identity of the victims or their families.
“We do not want to distinguish whether a victim belonged to Jamaat-e-Islami, BNP or any other political group. We will treat a crime as a crime and bring those genuinely responsible to justice,” he said.
He noted that three enforced disappearance cases are currently under trial and at the witness examination stage. Among the victims are former army officer Brigadier General (retd) Abdullahil Amaan Azmi and Barrister Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem Arman.
He said the disappearances of other victims, including BNP leader Elias Ali and Suman, would also be investigated and tried under the same standards.
Aminul said a larger team had been formed to investigate the enforced disappearance cases. Four additional investigators have been assigned to work with the existing investigator, bringing the team to five members.
Prosecutors, including the chief prosecutor, are also coordinating the investigations, he said.
“We hope to see visible progress in these cases soon. We are committed to ensuring justice for the families of the missing,” Aminul said.
Meanwhile, several family members of alleged enforced disappearance victims, led by Mayer Dak coordinator Sanjida Islam Tuli, met the chief prosecutor on Tuesday.
The families sought updates on the progress of the cases and urged authorities to ensure that the investigations and trials are conducted without political bias.