Rauzan Ex-Chairman Disappearance and Killing Case: Investigation Report on Fazle Karim and Ziaul Due January 4

A court has given investigators until January 4, 2027, to submit the investigation report against former Chattogram-6 lawmaker ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury and former army officer Ziaul Ahsan in a crimes against humanity case over a disappearance and killing.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 passed the order on Sunday (October 25). The new date for submitting the investigation report was set following a time petition by the prosecution.

According to prosecution sources, Syed Abu Jafar, a former chairman of Bagowan Union Parishad in Rauzan Upazila of Chattogram, was picked up in 2010. The allegation states that he was later killed after being forcibly disappeared.

It was over that very incident that the prosecution brought charges of crimes against humanity against Fazle Karim Chowdhury and Ziaul Ahsan. The investigation of the case is still under way, and the additional time has been granted to complete it.

Earlier, acting on a prosecution petition, Fazle Karim Chowdhury and Ziaul Ahsan were shown arrested in this case on April 19. Since then, the proceedings of the case have been moving forward step by step.

Apart from this, another crimes against humanity case against Fazle Karim Chowdhury is also under trial. He remains under arrest in that case too, filed over the killing of several people including Chhatra Dal leader Wasim in Chattogram during the July-August mass uprising.

Ziaul Ahsan, on the other hand, is also under arrest in a separate case. According to prosecution sources, witness testimony is already under way in that case, filed over disappearances and killings during the Awami League government's tenure.

In other words, beyond the Rauzan case, several crimes against humanity cases against the two accused are pending at different stages. Investigations are continuing in some, while testimony is under way in another.

In this case centred on the 2010 incident, the investigation report will determine the next stage of the trial process. Once the report is submitted, the tribunal will move towards the next steps, including the framing of charges, on its basis.

The victim's family has been waiting a long time in this case of disappearance and killing charges against a former lawmaker and a former army officer. The family of Syed Abu Jafar, who was picked up in 2010 and later killed, is counting the days in hope of justice.

The case will come up before Tribunal-2 again on the scheduled date of January 4, 2027, for the submission of the investigation report. The future course of the case will depend on whether the report is submitted that day.