[đŸ‡§đŸ‡©] International Crimes Tribunal Act & The Crimes Against Humanity

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[đŸ‡§đŸ‡©] International Crimes Tribunal Act & The Crimes Against Humanity
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Toby Cadman urges govt to refer July massacre case to the ICC
He also suggested changing the name of the International Crimes Tribunal

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Toby Cadman today urged the government to refer the cases of the July-August massacres to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, said a CA press wing release.

Cadman is the Special Advisor to the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Chief Prosecutor and has extensive experience as an international criminal law specialist. He has worked on cases in Bosnia, Kosovo, Rwanda, Yemen, Syria, and Ukraine.

He made the suggestion when he called on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the state guest house Jamuna.

According to the press release, the issue of how Dhaka would involve the International Criminal Court in The Hague was also brought up and discussed during this meeting. The discussions delved into the potential for international cooperation and the roles and responsibilities of the court in Bangladesh's quest for justice.

The meeting began with a detailed discussion on the progress and challenges faced by the International Crimes Tribunal.

The tribunal has the task of addressing the atrocities committed during the previous regime of Sheikh Hasina, especially during the student-led uprising in July-August 2024.

In the meeting between Cadman and Yunus, a number of topics were discussed concerning the applicable legal framework and the need to break from the past.

Cadman, who is also the head of G37 Chambers, suggested amendments to the ICT legal and regulatory framework, including changing the name of the tribunal "to demonstrate a clear departure from the previous autocratic regime."

According to the press release, it was noted in the meeting that due to certain absconding accused being shielded by foreign states, cooperation with the International Criminal Court under the principles of complementarity is required, and the two institutions should work closely together to ensure that the perpetrators are held fully accountable.

The issue of the death penalty and the incorporation of procedural rules of evidence to ensure the highest standards of fair trial and due process were also discussed during the meeting.

Professor Yunus expressed appreciation for the work of the ICT Prosecution team, saying they must uphold the highest international standards to ensure a fair trial and justice.

The Chief Adviser also said Bangladesh would soon decide whether it would refer the July atrocities to the Hague-based ICC since the UN fact-finding mission last month reported that potential crimes against humanity were committed during the uprising.

"It is important that the world should know who ordered the massacres of 1,400 students, protesters, and workers during the July uprising and who were the main perpetrators. The UN fact-finding mission has done a splendid job by unmasking the real face of the (Sheikh Hasina) regime. Now we must hold the culprits to account and serve justice," he said.

The issue of providing full resources to the tribunal and the prosecution was discussed to ensure that witnesses are protected, the accused receive all fundamental rights necessary for fair trials, and that the public has full and transparent access to the process.

Another major point of discussion was the seizure of stolen assets by the previous regime, and the legal and procedural measures needed to recover and repatriate these assets.

At the end of the meeting, Professor Yunus presented Cadman with a copy of the book "Art of Triumph: Graffiti of Bangladesh's New Dawn."​
 

Arrest warrant issued against Hasina, 4 others over Shapla Chattar incident
BSS
Dhaka
Published: 12 Mar 2025, 16: 00

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The autocratic government of Sheikh Hasina was overthrown on 5 August 2024 in an uprising of the students and masses

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Wednesday issued arrest warrants against five people including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, and former inspector general of police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed in a case lodged over the genocide that took place in the capital's Shapla Chattar area on 5 May, 2013.

The court also issued arrest warrant against former home minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, former IGP Hasan Mahmud Khandaker and Imran H Sarker.

The three-member tribunal led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder passed the order, allowing a plea of the prosecution.

Chief prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam and prosecutor Mizanul Islam argued for the plea of the prosecution, while prosecutors BM Sultan Mahmud, Gazi MH Tamim, Mohammad Shahidul Islam, Tarek Abdullah and Shaikh Mahadi were present at the time.

The prosecution said four more accused, former state minister for home affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku, former IGP Shahidul Haque, Major General (sacked) Ziaul Ahsan and former police official Mollah Nazrul Islam have already been arrested and are now behind the bars.

Hefazat-E-Islam filed a complaint with the office of the ICT chief prosecutor in this connection on 27 November 2024, against 50 accused including Sheikh Hasina.​
 

First formal charge in ICT after Eid
Staff Correspondent 23 March, 2025, 23:41

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Probe into Ashulia six murders ends

The Office of the Chief Prosecutor is set to file the first-ever formal charge with the International Crimes Tribunal after the Eid vacation in a case of crimes against humanity linked to the student-led mass uprising in July and August in 2024.

The case alleged that the members of the law enforcement agencies and the associates of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina committed crimes against humanity and genocide by killing six people in Ashulia, on the outskirts of Dhaka.

The investigation agency has recently submitted its draft report on the case to the chief prosecutor’s office.

The formal charge is expected to be filed after the ongoing Eid vacation, chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam told reporters at a press briefing on Sunday.

‘We are scrutinising the report. We will submit the formal charges against the accused to the International Crimes Tribunal for trial after completing the scrutiny,’ he said.

Tajul, however, did not disclose the names of the accused to be charged in the case.

He said that the investigation agency was in the final stages of reviewing at least three or four other cases.

He expected that they would get the probe reports in those cases after the Eid vacation.

‘One of these cases accuses [deposed prime minister] Sheikh Hasina,’ Tajul added.

Prosecutor Gazi Monwar Hossain Tamim told New Age that the draft investigation report in the case dropped the genocide charge but retained charges of crimes against humanity.

The chief prosecutor’s office has the authority to reject or amend the investigation report, or return the report for further investigation before submitting formal charges to the tribunal for trial, he noted.

Currently, several former officials of the law enforcement agencies, including former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, former Dhaka district additional superintendent of police Abdullahhil Kafi, and former police inspector Arafat Hossain, who are now in jail are facing charges of crimes against humanity committed in Savar and Ashulia during the July-August uprising.

Former Awami League lawmaker and Ashulia unit AL general secretary Muhammad Saiful Islam faces a warrant of arrest in the same case.

Two cases of genocide and crimes against humanity were filed in September 2024 against Hasina and several of her key allies, including former cabinet members, party leaders, and senior police officials.

The cases center on the killing of six individuals in police firing at Ashulia on August 5, 2024.

One case was filed by Rizwanul Islam, who accused Hasina and 29 others of orchestrating the deaths of five people, including his brother during the Ashulia incident that followed the fall of Hasina-led Awami League regime.

The second case, lodged by Shahina Begum, holds Hasina and 39 others responsible for the killing of her son, Sazzad Hossain, who was among those celebrating the fall of the AL regime.

The other accused include ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s former adviser Salman F Rahman, former ministers Obaidul Quader and Asaduzzaman Khan, former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, former Dhaka district superintendent of police Maruf Hossain, Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s former additional deputy commissioner Abdullah Al Kafi, Beximco security chief and retired major Arif, and local Awami League leaders and police officials in Ashulia.

The victims’ families claimed that the killings were premeditated and carried out by on-duty police officers and local ruling party leaders on orders from Hasina, her cabinet members, and senior officials of the law enforcement agencies.

They alleged that the victims were abducted, and killed, and their bodies were either buried or dumped from police vehicles in front of the Ashulia police station in an attempt to conceal the crimes they had committed.​
 


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