The International Crimes Tribunal on Tuesday ordered four accused, including former Cox’s Bazar-4 lawmaker Abdur Rahman Bodi and three retired army officials, to be shown arrested and sent to jail in a crimes against humanity case over the 2018 murder of former Teknaf Councillor and upazila Jubo League president Ekaramul Haque in a staged “gunfight”.

The tribunal also ordered the publication of newspaper notices calling on seven fugitives, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to surrender before the court.

A single-member bench of International Crimes Tribunal-2, headed by Judge Md Manzurul Bashid, issued the order.

The other three accused ordered to be sent to jail are Brigadier General Md Mahbub Alam, Brigadier General Miftah Uddin Ahmed and Colonel Anwar Latif Khan, who is currently on pre-retirement leave.

The three army officers served as officers of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) during the killing.

Mahbub Alam and Anwar Latif Khan are currently in the sub-jail at Senakunja in connection with other cases.

All four accused were present before the tribunal during Tuesday’s hearing.

The seven fugitives are former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed, Major (retd) Ruhul Amin, Lieutenant Commander Ashekur Rahman and former DGFI official Squadron Leader Nazmus Sakib Mahmud.

During the hearing, Prosecutor Dr Mohammad Oli Mia told the court that the tribunal had taken cognisance of the formal charges against the 11 accused on July 26.

At that time, production warrants were issued against three accused and arrest warrants against seven others.

However, police investigators failed to find the fugitives at their permanent or temporary addresses and subsequently submitted non-execution reports (NERs) regarding them.

Based on the reports, the prosecution sought an order to keep the four accused who appeared before the tribunal in custody and to publish newspaper notices asking the fugitives to appear before the court. The tribunal granted both applications.

The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for September 7.

According to the charge sheet, Ekaramul Haque was picked up from in front of Hotel Netong in the Kirontoli area of Teknaf on the night of May 26, 2018.

He was subsequently taken to the seashore along Marine Drive, where RAB allegedly staged a “gunfight” and shot him dead.

The prosecution has accused the defendants of illegally detaining and abducting Ekramul, staging the gunfight, directly assisting in the crime, abetting the crime and giving the final order for his killing.