Miftah Uddin Ahmed

Miftah Uddin Ahmed is a Bangladesh Army Lieutenant Colonel and officer of Rapid Action Battalion who has been sanctioned by the United States for human rights violations.[1][2]

Miftah Uddin Ahmed
Allegiance Bangladesh
Service/branch Bangladesh Army
Years of service1994-present
Rank Lieutenant Colonel
UnitBangladesh Infantry Regiment
Commands held
Known for
Police career
UnitRapid Action Battalion
Allegiance Bangladesh
Branch Bangladesh Police
Service years2015–2019
Rank Deputy Director
Awards BPM (bar)

Career

Commanding Officer Ahmed oversaw the arrest of the owner, Abu Bakar Siddique, of M.V. Pinak a ferry that sank in Padma River killing 48, after the owner went into hiding.[3] Siddique had been charged with culpable homicide for overloading his ferry that lead to its sinking.[3]

Commanding officer of Rapid Action Battalion-7, Ahmed, led a raid on a farm in Chittagong and recovered significant amount of firearms and detained five in 2015.[4] His team raided a residence in Chittagong and detained four people with bombs February 2015.[5][6]

In 2017, Ahmed as commanding officer of Rapid Action Battalion-7 led a crackdown on Shaheed Hamza Brigade, an Islamist militant group.[7] It arrested businessman Enamul Haque who allegedly provided funding to the group.[7]

On 18 April 2016, two robbers were killed in a gunfight with Rapid Action Battalion-7, which Ahmed commanded, in Mirsarai upazila.[8] In July, his team detained Mozaher Hossain Mia, who supplied weapons to the militants involved with July 2016 Dhaka attack.[9] His unit recovered more drugs from Chittagong that year in cartons of light bulbs.[10] In October 2016, three other robbers died in a shootout with Ahmed's unit.[11]

Ahmed, Commanding officer (CO) of Rapid Action Battalion-7, announced the confiscation of 1.5 million Ya ba tablet and arrest of five Myanmar citizen on 25 June 2017.[12]

In January 2018, Ahmed was awarded for bravery in service by the government of Bangladesh.[13] Ahmed was serving as Commanding officer of Rapid Action Battalion-7 when Ekramul Haque, a councilor of Tekhnaf Municipality, was killed in a shootout with RAB on 27 May 2018.[14] Ahmed called Ekramul a "top godfather of Yaba’ trading" after his death and alleged they were many cases against him.[14][15]

U.S. sanctions

On 10 December 2021, the U.S. Department of the Treasury placed Ahmed on its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list under the Global Magnitsky Act for engaging in serious human rights abuses relating to his tenure at Rapid Action Battalion, including the Killing of Ekramul Haque.[16][17][18] Inspector General of Bangladesh Police, Benazir Ahmed, was also one of the five individuals sanctioned including Miftah.[19][20] He was also sanctioned by the U.S. Department of State.[21]

References
  1. Dhaka, U. S. Embassy (11 December 2021). "The United States Promotes Accountability for Human Rights Violations and Abuses". U.S. Embassy in Bangladesh. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  2. "মহেশখালী-কুতুবদিয়াকে জলদস্যু-সন্ত্রাসীমুক্ত করা হবে". banglanews24.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  3. "Fugitive owner arrested over deadly Bangladesh ferry sinking". The Globe and Mail. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  4. Staff Correspondent; Ctg (23 February 2015). "Militants' training centre busted". The Daily Star. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  5. BanglaNews24.com (28 February 2015). "'Petrol bombs encouraging extremists'". banglanews24.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  6. "চট্টগ্রাম থেকে বিপুল পরিমাণ বোমা-বিস্ফোরক উদ্ধার". BBC News বাংলা (in Bengali). 28 February 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  7. Staff Correspondent; Ctg (7 September 2015). "Businessman on 5-day remand". The Daily Star. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  8. "2 suspects of Ctg jewellery shop robbery killed in 'gunfight'". The Daily Star. 18 April 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  9. Islam, Shariful (10 July 2016). "Focus on sources of arms, money". The Daily Star. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  10. Staff Correspondent; Ctg (19 August 2016). "Yaba arrives in Dhaka from Ctg as cargo". The Daily Star. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  11. ডটকম, চট্টগ্রাম ব্যুরো বিডিনিউজ টোয়েন্টিফোর. "মহাসড়কে ডাকাতের কবলে র‌্যাব, 'বন্দুকযুদ্ধে' নিহত ৩". bangla.bdnews24.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  12. Staff Correspondent; Ctg (25 June 2017). "15 lakh Yaba pills seized". The Daily Star. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  13. "র‌্যাবের আজাদসহ 'সাহসী' পদক পাচ্ছেন ১৮২ জন". jagonews24.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  14. "Now, councillor killed in Teknaf gunfight". Daily Bangladesh. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  15. "Councilor killed in Teknaf gunfight". Risingbd Online Bangla News Portal. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  16. "US Imposes Sanctions on Top Officials of Bangladesh's Rapid Action Battalion Over Human Rights Abuse". The Wire. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  17. "US Sanctions on Bangladesh's RAB: What Happened? What's Next?". cgs-bd.com. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  18. "Government to probe Ekramul killing". ajkerograbani.com. 3 June 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  19. "Human rights campaigners celebrate US sanctions on Bangladesh's elite paramilitary | Tamil Guardian". www.tamilguardian.com. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  20. "US imposes sanctions on RAB, 7 individuals". unb.com.bd. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  21. "Public Listing, Fiscal Year 2022". state.gov.
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