The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam on Wednesday said the year 2025 would be the trial-year for ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and the leaders of Awami League for their crimes against humanity.
"We will try to make 2025 as the year of golden history. We hope to make this as the year to make those criminals, who committed heinous crimes for long, face trial. We are moving forward, keeping this goal in mind," the Chief Prosecutor came up with the comments while exchanging greetings with the newsmen on the first day of the New Year at ICT.
"A new sun has risen in the country through the mass uprising led by the students and we have been able to start the year in an autocracy-free environment. We have many priorities in 2025, and the biggest priority is to complete a correct and fair trial of all the crimes against humanity, genocides and oppressions that took place in the country in the last 16 years," he said.
The International Crimes Tribunal is set to start its judicial function at the newly renovated main building once it receives the Chief Justice's approval. The legal process for all the crimes committed by the ousted Awami League government is being actively advanced, he added.
Investigations into the crimes against humanity committed in July-August are ongoing. The decision to bring ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina back is a state matter, but the tribunal will proceed with her trial, he added.
Mentioning that there is a huge pressure of expectation on the tribunal, the Chief Prosecutor said it is essential to ensure justice over the crimes that have taken place in the country for a long time.
"We need to ensure justice to present a bright future to the new generation of Bangladesh to rebuild their future. An accurate probe or probe report is essential for completing the ICT trial process correctly. That investigation process is going on, and the start and completion of the trial are related to the conclusion of this probe," he added.
Prosecutors BM Sultan Mahmud, Abdullah Al Noman, and others were also present.
The ICT have so far received more than 80 complaints over alleged genocide, crimes against humanity and murder during the recent student movement.
These complaints are mostly against the top leaders and officials of the ousted government, including law and order forces who had directly tried to crush the anti-government students-people movement during the last July-August.
The interim government reconstituted the ICT on October 14 by appointing High Court Judge Golam Mortuza Majumder as its Chairman. Another High Court Judge Shafiul Alam Mahmud and retired district and sessions judge Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury have also been appointed as ICT members.
The government earlier appointed the prosecutors of the tribunal headed by senior lawyer of the Supreme Court Advocate Md Tajul Islam.
The newly constituted ICT started its journey by issuing arrest warrant against 46 accused, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina on October 17 for their alleged involvement in crimes against humanity.
The ICT on October 27 also instructed the concerned authorities to produce 14 accused, including 10 former ministers of the ousted government, two of its advisers, one judge and a secretary before the tribunal on November 18 after showing them arrested.
The ICT later issued warrants of arrest against 17 police officers and instructed the authorities concerned to produce them before the tribunal on November 20. The police have already arrested two of them and produced them before the tribunal.
