Prosecution witness 5: Nazim Uddin
Evidence given by Nazim Uddin
My name is Nazim Uddin. My current age is 48 years. My address is: [redacted] District: Jashore.
I am a computer businessman and am involved in local BNP politics. I served as the Office Secretary of the Manirampur Municipal Unit of Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal. I have also served as the Office Secretary of the Manirampur Upazila Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal. In 2013, I went to Malaysia for two years under a specific project. I returned to Bangladesh in August 2015. After returning to Bangladesh, I directly participated in local politics and attempted to start a new business. Since 2009, I have been writing on Facebook against the Awami League and India. As a result, I made enemies with many people. Realizing this, I moved to Dhaka to start a business there. I rented an office inside the Mirpur DOHS.
On May 25, 2016, at approximately 11:00 AM, I went to Molla Tower, opposite the Mirpur-12 BRTA bus stand, to photocopy some documents related to the office rent agreement. As I came out and was about to leave on my motorcycle parked in front of Molla Tower, a black-colored HiAce microbus blocked my way. Several people got out of that microbus; one of them sat on the back of my motorcycle and grabbed me by the neck. Another person came and took away my motorcycle keys. Another individual asked for my name. When I stated my name as Nazim, they told me to go with them. When I asked for their identity, they replied, “You will find out our identity once you come with us.” They threatened to pull out weapons if I did not listen to them. I was looking around to call for help. In that situation, two of them grabbed me by the neck and forced me into the microbus.
The microbus then drove to the Kalshi intersection and stopped. They took away 100,000 Taka in cash that was with me, two iPhones, my wallet, and some urgent documents. They pulled both of my hands behind my back, put handcuffs on me, blindfolded my eyes with a black cloth, and placed a hood over my head. Following this, after the vehicle drove for about 10 to 12 minutes, it stopped at a location, and they made me get out of the vehicle.
They brought me up into a building. At that time, I heard the sound of a collapsible gate opening. I was given a lungi and a t-shirt to wear. Later, they took me into a room and made me sit on a chair. There, they asked for my name and full address. Following this, they asked me who operated the ID named “Nazim Uddin”. When I admitted that I operated it myself, they started mocking and laughing. Suddenly, they began striking both of my thighs and my back with a stick, saying, “You will do exactly as we say.”
Then, they took me out of that room. At first, they led me to the left. Then, moving a little forward, they opened a door, proceeded slightly further, and pushed me inside a cell on the right side. After that, they untied my eyes and unlocked my hands. I found myself inside a room measuring approximately 8 feet by 11 feet. In one corner of the room, there was a wooden cot and a plastic pot. For the first 2 or 3 days, I was in a daze, so I could not comprehend what was happening. After 2 to 3 days, when I became somewhat stable, I noticed that there were numerous writings on the walls of the room. I read them and found names of various people, mobile numbers, and expressions of intense suffering written there. Among those, one writing stated, “This is the DGFI Headquarters, JIC Cell.” By virtue of working at an organization named Daffodil Computer in Banani for a long period of three years, I was more or less familiar with the entire area. While working at that organization, I had seen the 14-story building of DGFI many times.
Later, I noticed that I could occasionally hear announcements regarding the deaths and funeral prayers (Janaza) of various residents of Purba Kafrul from a neighboring mosque. While being held at the JIC detention center, I could constantly hear the sound of airplanes taking off and landing. Subsequently, through the writings on the wall, the taking off and landing of airplanes, and the announcements from the Purba Kafrul mosque, I became certain that I was under the custody of the DGFI.
While I was there, they would provide me with a pen and paper to write my biography and set a deadline. If I could not finish writing within the given time, they would not allow me to sleep. During the first 10 days, they took me to the aforementioned room and interrogated me 4 times. Later, they would take me to that room for interrogation once every 15 to 20 days. They wanted to know why I wrote against the Awami League and India. They also demanded to know who else was involved with me in local politics. Whenever I stated that I had no connection with anyone, I was subjected to torture.
One day, while I was standing in front of my cell door, someone from the left side asked for my name. At that moment, I realized that besides me, there were many others around here. I told him my name and home address. Later on, whenever the guards were not around, we would speak to each other in a low voice. In the cell to my left was Liton from Badda, to his left was Tehzeeb, and to my right were Shamim and a person named Tojo. Opposite our cells, there were 05 rooms; in the first room stayed Abuzar, in another room Ibtesham Sami, followed by Mamun and Hasan. After two months, Shamim was moved to another room. They brought a person named Hasan from Rajshahi into Shamim’s cell. After three months, a Singapore expatriate named Shariful was placed in my room. He was taken away after a month.
A few days after that, they took me back to the aforementioned room for interrogation and told me, “Your investigation is complete.” They added, “A decision has been made to release you, but you will have to stay for a few more days.” One day, when I had a severe headache, I was gently tapping my head against the wall. Late that night, they handcuffed and blindfolded me, and took me away. They told me, “When you were outside, didn’t you see bodies packed in sacks in the canals and marshes? Didn’t you see that an excessive number of dead bodies were found on the railway lines during that time? If you ever do something like this again, we will put you inside a sack and throw you into a pond.” After giving me some warnings/advice like this, they brought me back to my cell.
After five months, one afternoon, they gave me my pants and t-shirt and told me that I would be released today. Late that night, they blindfolded me, put handcuffs on my hands, took me out of the room, and put me into a vehicle. I could perceive that there were several others in the vehicle as well. After driving for approximately 25 to 30 minutes, the vehicle stopped at a location. From there, they led me up three steps into a room made of iron rods. The next day, I came to know that they had brought Abuzar, Ibtesham Sami, and Mamun along with me. There were four black rooms at that place. Dr. Iqbal from Lakshmipur was already inside one of them. From those who looked after us there, we learned that we were at RAB-2. After approximately 18 to 19 days, they brought 8 to 10 people, including Liton, into my room. In the afternoon, they took Dr. Iqbal away and transferred me to his room. Sometime during the night, they took Liton and the others away as well. At that point, only four of us—myself, Abuzar, Ibtesham Sami, and Mamun—were left there.
After approximately 20 to 22 days, one night, they took me, Abuzar, and Ibtesham Sami out and transferred us to RAB-10. There, they kept us confined inside bathrooms. The doors of these bathrooms were made of iron bars, and the area was monitored by CCTV cameras. There were four bathrooms in total. We found Tajul Islam and Nur Alam in the remaining two bathrooms. They kept Abuzar in one bathroom, and Ibtesham Sami and me together in another. The following morning at dawn, they took us out of there and put us into a microbus. While being put into the microbus, I managed to see from underneath my blindfold that a RAB pickup truck was parked there, which had “RAB-10” written on its side. From there, they drove us to Chattogram and handed us over to RAB-7.
At dawn on December 08, 2016, they put Tajul Islam and me into a microbus. The microbus stopped in the Colonel Hat area under the Akbar Shah Police Station. There, they untied our blindfolds, brought our hands from the back to the front, and handcuffed us. The handcuffs were covered with a gamcha (towel) so that they could not be seen. We were taken out of the vehicle, walked a short distance, and made to stand at a spot. A cloth was spread out there, upon which two bags, two pistols, and some bullets were placed, and our photographs were taken. Following this, we were put back into the vehicle, blindfolded again, and after driving for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, we were taken to Mukim Talukdar’s house. There was a large crowd of people present there.
We were taken to a room on the second floor. Upon arriving there, I saw Abuzar, Ibtesham Sami, and Nur Alam. At that moment, someone from the adjacent building was video recording us. Seeing this, the RAB members put helmets on our heads and ordered that the person filming be apprehended. After staging a piece of drama there, they brought us downstairs and presented us before journalists. Without giving us any opportunity to speak, they put us back into the microbus and took us to the RAB headquarters. At 3:00 AM that night, they handed us over to the Akbar Shah Police Station. They filed three cases against Tajul Islam and me, and two cases against the others. I have been acquitted in one of these cases, while the remaining cases are still under trial.
After serving 18 months in prison, I was released on bail in 2018. Following my return home, due to the oppression by Awami League leaders and harassment by the administration, I left the country and went to Saudi Arabia. Subsequently, on September 08, 2024, I returned to Bangladesh. I demand justice against those responsible for my unlawful detention, torture, harassment, and the false cases filed against me. (At this point, the witness becomes tearful).
The investigating officer has interrogated me. This is my statement.
Cross-examination by Advocate Azizur Rahman Dulu in favour of Brigadier General M. Mahbubur Rahman Siddiqui, Major General Sheikh Md. Sarwar Hossain, and Brigadier General Ahmed Tanvir Mazhar Siddiqui.
Defence: Suggestion: The three aforementioned accused were not working in the DGFI during your period of detention?
Witness (PW-5): I do not know whether the three accused present here were working in the DGFI during my period of detention.
Tribunal: Do not ask any such question which he, meaning the witness, is not supposed to know.
Defence (Suggestion): Brigadier General Md Mahbubur Rahman Siddiqui was not in Chittagong Cantonment during your period of detention.
Witness: I do not know whether Brigadier General MD Mahbubur Rahman Siddiqui was not in Chittagong Cantonment during my period of detention.
Defence: Were you involved in BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) politics since your student days?
Witness: I have been involved in BNP politics since my student days.
Defence: Since when exactly?
Witness: I have been doing politics since the higher secondary level.
Defence: Where did you pursue your higher secondary level studies?
Witness: I studied higher secondary at Manirampur Government College.
Defence: Did the I.O. (Investigating Officer) seize or receive any of your business-related documents?
Witness: The I.O. did not receive any of my business-related documents.
Defence: Do you know if Major General Sheikh Md. Sarwar Hossain was serving as a Battalion Commander at the East Bengal Regiment Centre, Chattogram, during your period of detention?
Witness: I do not know whether Major General Sheikh Md. Sarwar Hossain was serving as a Battalion Commander at the East Bengal Regiment Centre, Chattogram, during my period of detention.
Defence: Do you know if Brigadier General Ahmed Tanvir Mazhar Siddique was serving as an instructor at the Mirpur Command Service and Staff College, Dhaka, during your period of detention?
Witness: I do not know whether Brigadier General Ahmed Tanvir Mazhar Siddique was serving as an instructor at the Mirpur Command Service and Staff College, Dhaka, during my period of detention.
Defence: Did the I.O. collect any travel documents regarding your trips to and from Malaysia?
Witness: The I.O. did not receive any documents regarding my travel to and from Malaysia from me.
Defence: Did the I.O. seize any documents regarding your membership in the Jubo Dal [Youth Wing of BNP] or Swecchasebak Dal [Volunteers Wing of BNP]?
Witness: The I.O. did not receive any documents from me regarding my membership in the Juba Dal and Swechchhasebak Dal.
Defence (Suggestion): You have never been to Malaysia.
Witness: It is not true that I have never been to Malaysia.
Defence (Suggestion): You have never been involved in BNP politics.
Witness: It is not true that I have never been involved in BNP politics.
Defence: How many posts did you write on Facebook against the Awami League and how many against India?
Witness: I do not remember how many posts I wrote on Facebook against the Awami League and how many against India.
Defence: Did the I.O. collect screenshots of your Facebook posts from you?
Witness: The I.O. did not collect screenshots of my Facebook posts from me. It is because during the period of my disappearance, my Facebook ID was deactivated by the accused’s side.
Defence: Did the I.O. conduct any interrogation in your presence regarding the deactivation of your Facebook ID?
Witness: The I.O. of this case did not conduct any interrogation in my presence regarding the deactivation of my Facebook ID.
Defence: What was the name of the owner of the office you rented in Mirpur DOHS?
Witness: I do not remember the name of the owner of the office I rented in Mirpur DOHS.
Defence: Did the I.O. take any tenancy or rent-related documents from you?
Witness: The I.O. did not take any documents regarding this rent from me.
Defence: During what period were you held in RAB (Rapid Action Battalion) custody?
Witness: I was in RAB custody between 25/05/2016 and 8/12/2016.
Defence: Had you ever visited the DGFI headquarters before 25/05/2016?
Witness: Prior to 25/05/2016, I had never been to the DGFI headquarters.
Defence: Had you visited any RAB office before 25/05/2016?
Witness: Before 25/05/2016, I did not go to any RAB office.
Defence: When did you go to the RAB-2 office?
Witness: I went to the RAB-2 office with the Chief Advisor probably in February 2025.
Defence: Was the I.O. present then?
Witness: The I.O. was not with us at that time.
Defence: Have you visited the DGFI headquarters after your release?
Witness: After my release from prison, I have never been to the DGFI headquarters.
Defence: Did you handover to the I.O. the ownership documents of the motorcycle you were riding immediately prior to your arrest?
Witness: I handed over a document regarding the ownership of the motorcycle I was riding immediately prior to my detention to another senior officer of the investigation agency in the presence of the I.O.
Defence: Do you recall the name of the officer to whom you handed them?
Witness: I do not recall his name.
Defence: How many people did you see getting down from the microbus at the time of your abduction? Did you know any of them?
Witness: At the time of my abduction, I saw four people get down from the mentioned microbus. I do not know any of them.
Defence (Suggestion): Two iPhones, your moneybag, or any urgent documents were not with you at that time.
Witness: It is not true that two iPhones, my moneybag, and some urgent documents were not with me at that time.
Defence: From whom did you obtain the sum of one lakh taka mentioned in your testimony?
Witness: I took the one lakh taka mentioned in my testimony from a person named Gausul Azam.
Defence: Did you provide Gausul Azam’s name and address to the I.O.?
Witness: I have provided the name and address of Gausul Azam to the I.O.
Defence: Did your family take any legal action following your abduction?
Witness: After my abduction, my family filed a GD (General Diary) and, out of suspicion, filed a case against Gausul Azam.
Defence: What was the GD number?
Witness: I do not remember the GD number.
Defence: Did the I.O. obtain a copy of that GD from you?
Witness: The I.O. received a copy of that GD from me.
Defence: Do you remember the date and time of filing that GD?
Witness: I do not remember the date and time of filing that GD. But I do remember the place.
Defence: Have you read the GD since your release?
Witness: After my release from prison, I read that GD.
Defence: Did you follow up with the police station to find out if any investigation had been conducted regarding that GD?
Witness: I did not contact that police station to find out if any investigation had been conducted regarding that GD.
Defence: At which police station was the GD filed? On what date?
Witness: That GD was filed at Bhatara Police Station. I do not remember the date of that GD.
Defence: Did you have any bank cards with you during your abduction?
Witness: At the time of my abduction, I had a Dutch-Bangla Bank debit card with me.
Defence: Did the I.O. seize them?
Witness: The I.O. did not take any bank-related documents from me.
Defence: Where did you go after your release from prison?
Witness: After my release from prison, I stayed in Bangladesh for one and a half months. Thereafter, I went to Saudi Arabia, where I underwent medical treatment.
Defence: Did you submit any medical records of it to the IO?
Witness: I did not provide any documents of that medical treatment to the IO.
Defence: How many rooms were you kept in during your detention?
Witness: During my detention, I was kept in five rooms.
Defence: How many of them were bathrooms?
Witness: Out of those five rooms, two were bathrooms.
Defence: Did the I.O. seize any physical evidence from those rooms and bathrooms?
Witness: The I.O. did not seize any evidence of the three rooms and two bathrooms where I was kept during my detention.
Defence (Suggestion): You have made a false statement to the effect that “After 2/3 days, when I became slightly normal, I noticed a lot of writings on the walls. I read them and they contained names of people, mobile numbers, and their cries of pain. Among them, there was one writing — ‘This is the headquarters of DGFI, JIC Cell’.”
Witness: It is not true that I have made a false statement to the effect that “After 2/3 days, when I became slightly normal, I noticed a lot of writings on the walls. I read them and they contained names of people, mobile numbers, and their cries of pain. Among them, there was one writing — ‘This is the headquarters of DGFI, JIC Cell’.”
Defence: Did you have any prior acquaintance with the individuals before 25/05/2016 whose names you mentioned in your testimony?
Witness: I had no prior acquaintance with the persons whose names I mentioned in my testimony before 25/05/2016.
Defence: Did you hear any sounds after entering the building?
Witness: Shortly after entering the building, I heard the sound of a collapsible gate opening.
Defence: Do you remember the time?
Witness: I do not remember the specific time.
Defence: What did you do in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia?
Witness: I have served as an employee in both countries — Malaysia and Saudi Arabia
Defence: Under what status did you go to Malaysia? Did you go there as the manpower itself or as a manpower recruiting agent [originally asked in Bangla, “adam” or “adam-bebshayi?”]?
Witness: I went to Malaysia as an Adam (as a manpower).
Defence: Where and when were you blindfolded?
Witness: Whenever I was taken out of the cell, my eyes would be blindfolded. The blindfolding was done inside the cell.
Defence: Did they ask you any questions regarding terrorism during your interrogation?
Witness: During my interrogation, they did not ask me any questions related to terrorism.
Defence: What were the sizes of the rooms where you were detained by RAB?
Witness: The sizes of the rooms in which I was detained by RAB were different. I was detained in RAB-10, RAB-7, and RAB-2. The room in which I was detained in RAB-2 measured 5 feet by 10 feet. Another room of RAB-2, where I was detained, measured 7 feet by 3 feet. The room in which I was detained in RAB-10 measured 4 feet by 6 feet. The room in which I was detained in RAB-7 measured 7 feet by 6 feet. The room was rectangular.
(Cross-examination to be continued)