Newly appointed International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) chief prosecutor Advocate Md Tajul Islam said that steps would be taken to bring back prime accused in most of the genocide cases, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, to the country under the extradition treaty with India.
"We will file an application with the International Crimes Tribunal, when it resumes functions, to issue arrest warrant against all the absconding accused including Sheikh Hasina in connection with the cases filed for mass killing and crimes against humanity," the chief prosecutor came up with the comments at a press briefing on the ICT premises in Dhaka.
"As she [Sheikh Hasina] is considered to be the main perpetrator and she has fled the country. We would initiate the legal process to bring her back. The extradition treaty between Bangladesh and India was signed in 2013, during the tenure of her government," he added.
He further said, "As we guess that she [Hasina] would be the main accused and she was made accused in most of the cases filed over the genocide that took place in Bangladesh recently, we would try to make her face the trial after bringing her back to the country."
"The investigation team will formally start the probe for Sheikh Hasina's trial and others, who were involved in the genocide. Prosecutor will take steps against other accused in the mass killing case to prevent them from fleeing the country," he added.
"Attempts are being made to destroy the evidences of the genocide occurred in July. The important task for us is to collect the evidences and bring those into the legal framework to prove the case," he noted.
Replying to a question, he said a decision will be taken after consulting with the government about amendment of the existing International Crimes Tribunal Act for holding trial of the new cases filed with the ICT.
Replying another query, Advocate Tajul said they would try their best to stop the possible perpetrators and accused from fleeing the country, adding, "If an accused manages to flee the country, it becomes very difficult to bring them to justice."
"We would send letters to all the law enforcing agencies through the ICT investigation body in this regard," he noted.
Tajul added that they have received many complaints already and sounded positive to find out the people involved with the genocide and crimes against humanity.
The chief prosecutor also said that the information, documents and evidence against the accused persons will have to be collected from across the country and those will have to be compiled, examined and placed properly before the tribunal, which are very much challenging and huge tasks.
Tajul Islam said the International Crimes Tribunal and its investigation team will have to be reconstituted by appointing new judges and investigators as previous judges, prosecution team and investigation agency appointed by the previous government have stepped down after the interim government has been formed in the country following the fall of the Hasina-led government.
