The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has denied bail to Bangladesh Air Force Wing Commander Saifur Rahman and sent him to jail in a crimes against humanity case over the 2012 enforced disappearance of BNP leader Ilias Ali.

A three-member bench of Tribunal-1, headed by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, passed the order on Sunday and set October 25 for submission of the investigation report.

Earlier in the day, Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam sought Saifur’s arrest in the case and asked the tribunal to send him to jail.

The chief prosecutor said the investigation report submitted when the tribunal issued an arrest warrant against Saifur had made serious allegations against him.

According to the report, Saifur was working with the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and was allegedly directly involved in several killings as an associate of Ziaul Ahsan, the disgraced senior general of the Army.

The prosecution also said Saifur’s name appeared in statements given by several witnesses who testified in Ziaul Ahsan’s case.

The prosecutor said there was direct evidence against Saifur in the disappearance of several victims, including Ilias Ali.

He said the investigation against Saifur had only recently begun, and all information and evidence could not be disclosed at this stage in the interest of the investigation.

“More information will come to light as the investigation progresses,” he said.

Following the prosecution’s plea, the tribunal rejected Saifur’s bail petition and ordered that he be sent to jail.

Saifur’s lawyer, Tabarak Hossain, however, sought bail, saying his client had joined the Air Force in 2003 and was a competent officer.

“There are no charges against him,” the lawyer said, adding that although many accused had fled, Saifur had appeared before the tribunal out of respect for the law.

He said Saifur would cooperate with the investigation whenever required and that his bail could be cancelled if he obstructed the investigation.

The lawyer also requested that Saifur be kept in Air Force custody and be given the opportunity to secure bail.

On August 9, Tribunal-1 issued an arrest warrant against him.

BNP leader Ilias Ali went missing from Banani in Dhaka on April 17, 2012. He was the organising secretary of Sylhet BNP and was elected twice as a member of parliament from Sylhet-2 constituency.