At least five senior officers of the Bangladesh Army—two brigadiers, a colonel, a lieutenant colonel and a major—have been placed under 'house arrest' at Dhaka Cantonment .
According to a report sent to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) by the agencies, the officers were confined to their official residences on April 5, a day before Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman departed for an official five-day visit to Russia and Croatia.
Bangladesh’s interim government has not identified the five officers publicly. The Indian agencies identified the five officers as Brig Gen S M Zakaria Hussain from the Engineers Brigade, Brig Gen Imran Hamid from the Infantry Brigade, who was also ADC to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Col Abdullah Al-Momen from the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Lt Col Muhammad Redwanul Islam from the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Maj Md Noman Al Faruk from the East Bengal Regiment.
“They are currently under 24-hour surveillance and have been relieved of all active duties. Their movements are restricted and they are barred from leaving the country,” said an MEA official, quoting the report from the agencies.
Sources confirmed that the measure was approved by Gen Zaman after formal charges were filed against the officers by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). Initially reluctant to act without concrete evidence, the Army chief reportedly authorised the arrests once the ICT presented findings implicating the officers.
"This is an open arrest. They remain within their residences, but under close watch, They have been removed from their respective assignments and cannot exit the country under any circumstances,” said the official
This move comes amid growing concerns within military and civilian circles about the escape of at least 627 officers and their spouses in the months following the student protests. These included individuals from the army, police, civil administration and Hasina’s party Awami League.
The report mentioned that it remains unclear when formal Courts of Inquiry will be convened for the five detained officers. “Proceedings may begin once the ICT completes and circulates the necessary documentation to both the military and interim government authorities,” mentioned the report to the MEA.
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