The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has once again approached the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), calling for an investigation into allegations involving the killing and disappearance of 2,276 of its leaders and activists.
The complaint was submitted on Monday to Chief Prosecutor of the ICT Aminul Islam by Salahuddin Khan, an executive member of the BNP central committee and coordinator of the party’s case and information preservation cell.
According to the submission, BNP and its affiliated organisations claim they were subjected to systematic repression during the Awami League’s tenure from 2008 until 5 August 2024. The complaint alleges that party leaders and activists faced abduction, enforced disappearance, prolonged detention, torture, and were later killed in incidents described as “crossfire,” with alleged involvement of ruling party affiliates and certain law enforcement agencies.
It further states that a total of 2,276 individuals were allegedly killed in such crossfire incidents during the period, including 1,776 BNP leaders and activists.
The party also recalled that a detailed 243-page complaint with supporting documents had been submitted on 8 January 2025 to the then ICT Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam, who had reportedly assured legal action. However, BNP claims that despite repeated follow-ups, no meaningful progress has been made in the case.
In its latest complaint, BNP described the incidents as part of a broader pattern of politically motivated violence aimed at weakening and dismantling the party structure through extrajudicial killings.
The party also said families of the victims continue to await justice and urged the tribunal to take immediate steps to investigate the allegations and begin legal proceedings against those responsible.
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