PMO ordered enforced disappearances, killings

Banglapress Published: 23 September 2025, 10:25 AM

PMO ordered enforced disappearances, killings

Bangla Press Desk: Former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun has revealed that orders for enforced disappearances and crossfire (extrajudicial killings) against political dissidents used to come from the Prime Minister’s Office during the previous fascist Awami League regime. “Such actions including abductions and enforced disappearances were carried out by intelligence officials under the direct oversight of the then prime minister’s security adviser, Tarique Siddique.” He further stated that abduction, interrogation, torture, and detention of political opponents – perceived as threats to the government – in secret cells were considered institutional practices within the Raprid Action Battalion. “Such activities were primarily overseen by the Additional Director General (Operations) and the Intelligence Director. The secret cells operating in several RAB units were controlled by the respective commanding officers,” he added.

Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who served as IGP from 2022 until the fall of the Awami League government, gave this confessional statement before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Dhaka on 24 March. He is currently in custody in a case involving crimes against humanity and was made an approver upon his own request on 10 July. Mamun also stated that the decision to deploy lethal weapons against protesters during last year’s July protest was made under the direction of now-deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina. He said former Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Habibur Rahman and former Detective Branch Chief Harun or Rashid, in particular, were highly enthusiastic about implementing the directive, and that the former issued a public order on 18 July to open fire on protesters using Chinese rifles.

The statement revealed that the previous government’s home minister, law minister, former Dhaka South mayor Fazle Noor Taposh, them PM’s adviser Salman F Rahman, ex-bridges minister Obaidul Quader, textiles minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, state minister for textiles Mirza Azam, state minister for information Mohammad A Arafat, and lawmakers Hasanul Haq Inu and Rashed Khan Menon all advised Sheikh Hasina to eliminate the student-civilian movement using deadly weapons. The former IGP further stated that a core committee meeting was held almost every night from 19 July between 8pm and 9pm at the residence of then home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to discuss suppressing the protests. In one such meeting, he said, the arrest of the coordinators of the anti-discrimination movement was decided. “I opposed it, but they were arrested following the Home Minister’s order,” he added. He said that during one of these meetings, a covert plan was devised to use helicopters for surveillance, open fire, and instil fear among the protesters.

However, “as police chief, I was not involved in that operation,” he claimed. Describing the events of 5 August, Mamun said that on the morning of that day, millions of people converged on Dhaka, and the army did not block their entry – with some Army officers reportedly siding with protesters. “This prevented the authorities from halting the mass march to Ganabhaban. Around noon, the Prime Minister’s Office directed the police to intercept crowds near Mohakhali.” “Between 12:30 and 1pm, I realised the government was about to fall and that the Prime Minister would step down. I learned this through the Special Branch (SB),” Mamun said. Regarding his escape from Police Headquarters, Mamun said, “In the afternoon, I came to know that a helicopter would arrive at Police Headquarters to pick up officers. I boarded that helicopter, went to Tejgaon Airport, and from there took shelter at the Army Officers’ Mess.”

Mamun also said he was familiar with RAB officers Alep Uddin and Mahiuddin Faruqi. “Alep was first posted in RAB Narayanganj and later assigned to RAB Intelligence on the recommendation of the Additional Director General (Operations). He was favoured by RAB personnel and became notoriously known among police officers for his skill in carrying out abductions and other controversial operations. During the 2018 parliamentary election, Mamun claimed that former IGP Jabed Patwari advised the pre-stuffing of nearly 50% of ballot boxes overnight under political instruction – a move implemented through election officials and police leadership, undermining professional conduct. At the end of his five-page statement, Mamun expressed deep shame, regret, and apology for facilitating government-ordered brutality, including shootings, torture, mass arrests, and killings, against students and civilians during the suppression of the anti-discrimination movement. He said he provided the statement to reveal the full extent of his involvement. This article was originally published on Daily Sun.

Bangla Press is a global platform for free thought. It provides impartial news, analysis, and commentary for independent-minded individuals. Our goal is to bring about positive change, which is more important today than ever before.

B P/S

[Bangla Press is a global platform for free thought. It provides impartial news, analysis, and commentary for independent-minded individuals. Our goal is to bring about positive change, which is more important today than ever before.]