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DHAKA: An active army officer was detained in Bangladesh on Tuesday over alleged extrajudicial killing of a politician during an anti-narcotics crackdown that left hundreds dead.
Over 460 people were killed during the nationwide anti-drug campaign launched in 2018, according to rights groups, with many deaths alleged to have occurred in staged gunfights involving security forces.
Bangladesh’s crimes tribunal accepted a complaint last week against 11 officials, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a former police chief and six serving and retired military officers, over the killing of Akramul Haque, a councillor in the southeastern district of Cox’s Bazar.
The officer’s detention marks one of the most significant moves yet by the tribunal against those linked to actions taken during Sheikh Hasina’s rule.
