Brigadier General Aman Azmi (Retd.) tells ICT that Sheikh Hasina was held under his custody during the Ershad era
A defence witness has told the International Crimes Tribunal that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was once held under his supervision during the military rule of Hussein Muhammad Ershad.
Retired Brigadier General Abdullahil Aman Azmi made the statement during cross-examination on Monday in a case involving allegations of enforced disappearance and torture at the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC). The hearing took place before a two-member bench of International Crimes Tribunal-1, led by Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Mozumder, with Justice Md. Shafiqul Alam Mahmud is the other member.
During questioning, defence counsel Azizur Rahman Dulu asked the witness whether he had ever met Sheikh Hasina. In response, Azmi said that he met her several times in 1983. He further stated that during the Ershad-era military rule, he was stationed with his company at a residence on Hare Road, where Sheikh Hasina, along with Matia Chowdhury and Sahara Khatun, had been held for several days under his supervision.
The case concerns allegations of crimes against humanity, with a total of 13 accused, including the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Of them, three individuals are currently under arrest and were produced before the tribunal from a sub-jail inside Dhaka Cantonment earlier in the day.
The detained accused include the former Director of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), Major General Sheikh Md. Sarwar Hossain, Brigadier General Md. Mahbubur Rahman Siddiqui, and Brigadier General Ahmed Tanvir Mazahar Siddiqui.
The prosecution was represented by Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim, Shyikh Mahdi, and Moinul Karim.
Relevant news reports in this regard are as follows:
BDNews24.com – https://bangla.bdnews24.com/bangladesh/0615f1e4b50a
Daily Kaler Kantha – https://www.kalerkantho.com/online/Court/2026/04/27/1677331
Dhaka Post – https://www.dhakapost.com/law-courts/447908
BDNews24.com (English) – https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/89b4099170b3
Daily Financial Express – https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/hasina-was-imprisoned-under-my-supervision-during-ershad-regime-azmi
Channel 24 – https://www.channel24bd.tv/law-court/article/324904/আমার-অধীনে-বন্দি-ছিলেন-শেখ-হাসিনা:-জেরায়-ব্রি-আযমী
The Bangladesh Times – https://bangladeshtimes.com/details/167232/আমার-অধীনে-বন্দী-ছিলেন-শেখ-হাসিনা-:-ট্রাইব্যুনালে-ব্রিগেডিয়ার-আযমী
Dhaka Mail – https://dhakamail.com/law-courts/300823