War crimes evidence found against former acting DG of NSI

Investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) yesterday claimed to have found evidence against a former additional inspector general of police, over alleged involvement in crimes committed during the Liberation War.

Oahidul Haque, 69, also former acting director general of National Security Intelligence (NSI), had worked for the Pakistan army and was involved in the killing of 500-600 Bengalis in Rangpur in 1971, investigators said.

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“He was posted in Rangpur Cantonment when the war broke out, and he fought along with Pakistani army [against Bengalis],” Abdul Hannan Khan, coordinator of the agency, said during a press conference at its Dhanmondi office.

“He was reinstated by Ziaur Rahman in 1976,” Hannan said.

Oahidul, son of MS Samsul Haque from Madaripur, was arrested following a warrant issued by ICT-1 on April 24 and is now in jail.

The agency will hand over the probe report and other documents to the Chief Prosecutor's Office today and prosecution, if satisfied upon scrutinising the document, will press charge against him to begin trial, investigators said.

Sanaul Huq, co-coordinator of the agency, said Oahidul was the adjutant of 29th Cavalry Regiment of Pakistan army at Rangpur Cantonment. He killed around 500 to 600 people, and injured many on March 28, 1971.

Bodies of the victims were later burned and buried, he said.

Officials of The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) talk to the journalists about their investigation on former acting director general of National Security Intelligence (NSI), Oahidul Haque in a press conference on October 30, 2018. Photo: Tuhin Shubhra Adhikary

Oahidul was transferred to West Pakistan the following month, where he continued service and returned to Bangladesh in December 1973, subsequently joining the army, Sanaul said. He was later sent into “forced retirement” as many were aware of his war crimes, he added.

He joined police force as assistant superintendent in October 1976, a year after Bangabandhu's assassination, and went on to become police commissioner of Chattogram in 1988.

Oahidul was director of NSI from 1991 to 1996 and its acting director general from 1996 to 1997, investigators said. He was the director general of the department of immigration and passport from 1997 and was reappointed in 2002. He went into retirement in October 2005 as additional inspector general of police, they said.

Replying to another question, Hannan Khan said whoever comes to power following the next parliamentary election, should continue the war crimes trial.