Ziaul Ahsan Killed 10 BDR Members After Pilkhana, Bodyguard Testifies

Imrul Kayes, the former personal bodyguard of sacked military officer Ziaul Ahsan, has delivered a explosive testimony before the International Crimes Tribunal-1 detailing his former superior's direct involvement in widespread forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings during the Awami League regime. Testifying as the fifth prosecution witness on Sunday (June 21), Kayes explicitly linked Ziaul Ahsan to the 2012 forced disappearance of BNP leader Ilias Ali.

During the deposition, the former bodyguard disclosed intercepted phone conversations between Ziaul Ahsan and Tarique Ahmed Siddique, the former security adviser to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which exposed the coordinated nature of the state-sponsored abductions.

Mass Executions Post-Pilkhana Revealed

The most shocking component of the witness testimony revealed covert operations conducted under the banner of "Operation Rebel Hunt" following the 2009 Pilkhana BDR mutiny. According to Kayes, approximately 10 Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) members were extrajudicially executed under Ziaul’s direct supervision.

The witness stated that the detained border guards were systematically injected with lethal substances before being transported to the Buriganga River, where they were shot dead and disposed of. The defense has continually denied these operations, but the tribunal has entered the specific operational timelines into the judicial record.

Systemic Abductions and Formal Charges

The formal trial against the former high-ranking intelligence officer officially commenced following the framing of human rights charges on January 14 of this year. The prosecution's primary indictment outlines a systematic campaign of state capture and extrajudicial eliminations spanning multiple districts, including:

• July 11, 2011: The targeted extrajudicial killing of three individuals in Pubail, Gazipur.

• 2010 to 2013: The systematic execution of 50 individuals in the coastal district of Barguna.

• Parallel Indictments: An additional 50 target victims executed across various tracking zones during the exact same operational period.

The tribunal recorded the extensive timeline of the extrajudicial operations provided by the bodyguard. Legal analysts note that this testimony marks the first time an immediate insider from Ziaul's personal security detail has formally verified the operational links between the National Security Intelligence, the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, and top-tier political operatives. The tribunal has adjourned the session until the next scheduled cross-examination.