Air Force officer Saifur Rahman produced before ICT over BNP leader Ilias Ali’s disappearance in 2012

Bangladesh Air Force Wing Commander Saifur Rahman Saif was produced before the International Crimes Tribunal on Sunday in a crimes against humanity case over the alleged enforced disappearance of BNP leader and former lawmaker Ilias Ali in 2012.

Saif was brought to the tribunal premises in a microbus under tight security around 9am.

The prosecution is expected to seek an order formally showing him arrested in the case before International Crimes Tribunal-1.

Earlier on August 9, Tribunal-1 issued an arrest warrant against Saifur based on the progress of the investigation.

According to prosecution sources, investigators have found evidence of Saifur Rahman’s specific involvement in the case.

Ilias Ali, then a prominent organisational secretary of the Sylhet BNP and a two-time elected lawmaker from Sylhet-2, disappeared along with his driver, Ansar Ali, from the capital’s Banani area on the night of April 17, 2012.

The name of the accused first surfaced in the case on June 21 during testimony by Army Warrant Officer Imrul Kayes in proceedings concerning more than 100 alleged incidents of enforced disappearance and killing.

Saifur was mentioned in connection with the disappearance and alleged killing of Ilias Ali.

Subsequently, on July 26, the Special Military Police Branch (Provost) detained Saifur from his residence and placed him in the custody of a special cell of the military.

BNP leaders have alleged that Ilias was forcibly disappeared on the orders of individuals associated with the government at the time. According to the prosecution, the intelligence wing of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) was directly involved in the incident.

At the time of Ilias’s disappearance, Saifur, then a squadron leader in the Air Force, was serving in RAB’s intelligence wing.

Most recently, Saifur was serving as deputy director of the Directorate of Air Training at the Air Force Headquarters.

Earlier on August 9, ICT Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Aminul Islam said preliminary investigations and witness testimony had produced evidence of Saifur’s direct involvement in the alleged abduction of Ilias. Investigations are also under way into the roles of others allegedly involved in the incident, including retired Lieutenant General Sheikh Mamun Khaled.