Govt Moves to Dismiss 9 Police Officers Convicted by ICT

The government has started the process of dismissing nine senior police officers convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in cases involving crimes against humanity.

The Ministry of Home Affairs initiated the process after receiving official documents from Police Headquarters following the tribunal’s verdicts.

Officials from the ministry’s discipline division said action is being taken under Section 42 of the Public Service Act, 2018. Under the law, a public servant convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to death or imprisonment of more than one year can be dismissed from service from the date of the order.

Earlier, International Crimes Tribunals-1 and 2 convicted several senior and junior police officials over allegations of superior responsibility and direct involvement in killings and crimes against humanity during the July uprising.

The officers facing dismissal include former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Habibur Rahman, former Dhaka Range DIG Syed Nurul Islam, former DMP Joint Commissioner Sudip Kumar Chakraborty, former Dhaka District SP Md Asaduzzaman, former Additional SP Abdullahil Kafi, former ADC Shah Alam Md Akhtarul Islam, former Additional SP (Savar Circle) Shahidul Islam and former DMP Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Imrul.

Police Headquarters informed the Home Ministry on 6 July that relevant documents, including court judgments, arrest warrants and trial orders, had been sent for necessary action.

The authorities said further measures against those convicted in the cases would continue.

Among the convicted officers, former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun has been arrested in connection with an ICT case and is currently in custody. Former DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman has already been dismissed from service under the Public Service Act and remains absconding.

Several other officers, including Syed Nurul Islam, Sudip Kumar Chakraborty, Md Asaduzzaman, Abdullahil Kafi, Shah Alam Md Akhtarul Islam, Shahidul Islam and Mohammad Imrul, have been suspended and placed in different government assignments pending further action.

The government’s move follows a series of tribunal verdicts related to alleged crimes against humanity committed during the July uprising, marking further administrative action against officials convicted in the cases.