(MENAFN) A court in Bangladesh has ordered the formal arrest and imprisonment of 15 army officials, including 14 currently serving officers, in connection with cases involving forced disappearances and murders, according to reports.

The Dhaka-based International Crimes Tribunal also directed the publication of notices in newspapers calling for the appearance of fugitive former leader Sheikh Hasina, her security adviser, and other individuals in the ongoing cases.

Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam informed reporters of the developments following the court’s rulings on three separate cases.

Defense attorney Barrister M Sarwar Hossain told the press that those who directly carried out crimes, including murder and forced disappearances, have fled to neighboring India. He added that the officers who have surrendered are “innocent” and that the court will confirm this.

The court’s decision comes amid calls to hold accountable those implicated in serious crimes during Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year administration and in last July’s uprising, which left around 1,400 people dead. Hasina has been in exile since August 5 following her ouster.

Previously, the arrested army officials held top positions under Hasina’s government and were implicated in multiple cases, including forced disappearances and murders. They were initially detained by the army and kept in a house within a Dhaka cantonment, designated as a sub-jail by the Home Ministry.

However, victims of the crimes criticized the decision to house the officers in a special cantonment jail, stating that it has created inequalities and raised concerns about whether justice will be served.

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