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July atrocities: Trial of top brass to be completed within a year
The top leaders of the ousted Awami League regime who stand accused of commanding the crimes against humanity during the July uprising will be brought to book within a year, speakers said at a dialogue yesterday.
July atrocities: Trial of top brass to be completed within a year
Say law adviser, ICT
The top leaders of the ousted Awami League regime who stand accused of commanding the crimes against humanity during the July uprising will be brought to book within a year, speakers said at a dialogue yesterday.
Law Adviser Asif Nazrul said, "Next year, we aim to celebrate the Victory Day by meting out justice to mass murderers."
He added that while amending the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) law, the government intentionally refrained from including any provisions to try the AL as a political party.
"We want this trial process to be internationally accepted. We don't want to give anybody the scope to say this court is politically motivated," the adviser told the National Dialogue-2024, organised by the Forum for Bangladesh Studies at the Krishibid Institute Bangladesh.
Speaking at the same session, ICT Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam said, "The tribunal cannot bring to justice every single officer or individual involved in crimes against humanity [within the time frame of the interim government]. But we'll bring the 'top commanders' to justice."
He added that this will include Sheikh Hasina and those who acted as deputies in the chain of command. "Let the criminal courts deal with the rest."
The chief prosecutor further said the tribunal, with 17 investigation officers and 10 prosecutors, are being realistic with their ambitions.
Attorney General Asaduzzaman said, "One of our challenges is making sure this tribunal can never be called a 'kangaroo court' and verdicts be questioned.
"We're faced with the reality that many criminal cases are being filed under questionable circumstances and people are being victimised. But we want to assure you that those cases will not impact the processes of the ICT, which will not focus on one or two incidents, but rather attempt to prove that crimes against humanity were committed in the whole."
General Secretary of Biplobi Workers Party Kazi Saiful Haque cautioned against indulging in vengeful tactics and urged upholding the spirit of justice.
He said it has to be decided who had the command responsibility, and who were field officers carrying out the orders. "The kind of justice meted out to each of these two categories will be different."
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Publicity Affairs Secretary Motiur Rahman Akand expressed frustrations at the speed of the judicial process. "It has been 141 days already and we're yet to see any trial successfully completed. We feel the government is not being swift enough."
Speakers also demanded the trial of officers of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) for their role in perpetrating enforced disappearances.
"The DGFI is not acknowledging that it was linked to enforced disappearances. There needs to be accountability," said Sanjida Islam Tulee, coordinator of Mayer Daak, the platform for victims of enforced disappearance.
Didarul Islam Bhuiyan, a member of the Digital Security Act Victims Network, said, "In this new Bangladesh, we don't want the presence of forces like DGFI or Rapid Action Battalion, that were used as tools of oppression by the past government."
In 2020, Didarul was picked up by men claiming to be Rab officials. He was bound, tortured and then prosecuted under a Digital Security Act case.
Neamul Bashir, presidium member of Liberal Democratic Party, said DGFI needs to be brought to court for its involvement in enforced disappearances.
"Law enforcement units like the police's Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit, Rab and DGFI were used for political ends."
Law Adviser Asif Nazrul said the government's lawyers have already been instructed to investigate all cases filed with political motives.
"We've asked all the public prosecutors of all districts to investigate and find an estimate of the number of phantom cases filed out of political motivation."
He added that his ministry had gotten an estimate from 51 districts and was waiting for data from the remaining 13.
Zahir Uddin Swapan, media cell convener of the BNP; Jahidul Islam, secretary general of Islami Chhatra Shibir; Ashraf Ali Akand, political adviser to Islami Andolon; Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader Amanullah Aman; Barrister Tasnuva Shelley, among others, also spoke, while journalist Monir Haider moderated the dialogue.
Say law adviser, ICT
The top leaders of the ousted Awami League regime who stand accused of commanding the crimes against humanity during the July uprising will be brought to book within a year, speakers said at a dialogue yesterday.
Law Adviser Asif Nazrul said, "Next year, we aim to celebrate the Victory Day by meting out justice to mass murderers."
He added that while amending the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) law, the government intentionally refrained from including any provisions to try the AL as a political party.
"We want this trial process to be internationally accepted. We don't want to give anybody the scope to say this court is politically motivated," the adviser told the National Dialogue-2024, organised by the Forum for Bangladesh Studies at the Krishibid Institute Bangladesh.
Speaking at the same session, ICT Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam said, "The tribunal cannot bring to justice every single officer or individual involved in crimes against humanity [within the time frame of the interim government]. But we'll bring the 'top commanders' to justice."
He added that this will include Sheikh Hasina and those who acted as deputies in the chain of command. "Let the criminal courts deal with the rest."
The chief prosecutor further said the tribunal, with 17 investigation officers and 10 prosecutors, are being realistic with their ambitions.
Attorney General Asaduzzaman said, "One of our challenges is making sure this tribunal can never be called a 'kangaroo court' and verdicts be questioned.
"We're faced with the reality that many criminal cases are being filed under questionable circumstances and people are being victimised. But we want to assure you that those cases will not impact the processes of the ICT, which will not focus on one or two incidents, but rather attempt to prove that crimes against humanity were committed in the whole."
General Secretary of Biplobi Workers Party Kazi Saiful Haque cautioned against indulging in vengeful tactics and urged upholding the spirit of justice.
He said it has to be decided who had the command responsibility, and who were field officers carrying out the orders. "The kind of justice meted out to each of these two categories will be different."
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Publicity Affairs Secretary Motiur Rahman Akand expressed frustrations at the speed of the judicial process. "It has been 141 days already and we're yet to see any trial successfully completed. We feel the government is not being swift enough."
Speakers also demanded the trial of officers of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) for their role in perpetrating enforced disappearances.
"The DGFI is not acknowledging that it was linked to enforced disappearances. There needs to be accountability," said Sanjida Islam Tulee, coordinator of Mayer Daak, the platform for victims of enforced disappearance.
Didarul Islam Bhuiyan, a member of the Digital Security Act Victims Network, said, "In this new Bangladesh, we don't want the presence of forces like DGFI or Rapid Action Battalion, that were used as tools of oppression by the past government."
In 2020, Didarul was picked up by men claiming to be Rab officials. He was bound, tortured and then prosecuted under a Digital Security Act case.
Neamul Bashir, presidium member of Liberal Democratic Party, said DGFI needs to be brought to court for its involvement in enforced disappearances.
"Law enforcement units like the police's Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit, Rab and DGFI were used for political ends."
Law Adviser Asif Nazrul said the government's lawyers have already been instructed to investigate all cases filed with political motives.
"We've asked all the public prosecutors of all districts to investigate and find an estimate of the number of phantom cases filed out of political motivation."
He added that his ministry had gotten an estimate from 51 districts and was waiting for data from the remaining 13.
Zahir Uddin Swapan, media cell convener of the BNP; Jahidul Islam, secretary general of Islami Chhatra Shibir; Ashraf Ali Akand, political adviser to Islami Andolon; Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader Amanullah Aman; Barrister Tasnuva Shelley, among others, also spoke, while journalist Monir Haider moderated the dialogue.
