The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) today took cognisance of formal charges against Maj Gen (relieved) Ziaul Ahsan over allegations of enforced disappearance and murder.

The prosecution submitted the charges before the tribunal's registrar office this morning, prosecutor Gazi Monawar Hossain Tamim said.

After taking cognisance of the charges, the tribunal fixed December 21 as the next date of hearing and directed the authorities to produce Ziaul before the court on that day.

Today was not a scheduled hearing in the case, and the accused was not produced before the tribunal.

Ziaul Ahsan, a former senior official of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), led the force's intelligence wing as additional director general (operations). He also served as director general of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre until August 5 last year.

He was arrested August 15 last year in a murder case filed with New Market Police Station in the capital.