Hasina will be extradited to face trial: ICT chief prosecutor
Sheikh Hasina, the former prime minister and prime accused in cases related to massacre during the anti-discrimination student movement, will be brought back to Bangladesh to face trial, said Mohammad Tajul Islam, the newly appointed Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).
He made this statement during a press briefing at the ICT on Sunday (September 8), after assuming office. Prosecutors Gazi MH Tamim and BM Sultan Mahmud were also present.
“We will initiate the legal process to bring back the main accused who has fled the country. Bangladesh's extradition treaty with India, signed in 2013 during Sheikh Hasina's government, will be used to bring her back. She is implicated in most of the cases involving genocide in Bangladesh, and we aim to ensure she faces justice,” Tajul Islam stated.
The Chief Prosecutor highlighted the key challenge as collecting evidence, noting that the crimes took place across all 56,000 square miles of Bangladesh under a common instruction: to “shoot and kill.”
He emphasised that gathering and compiling evidence from these widespread atrocities is a major task, as many of the accused remain at large or have fled the country.
Regarding evidence of massacre, Tajul stressed the urgency of preserving crucial signs and testimony, as some accused individuals are still in Bangladesh and may attempt to destroy evidence. “Our main responsibility is to preserve these memories and collect evidence swiftly, so it can be presented before the court,” he added, urging victims and witnesses to come forward with any information.
Tajul Islam promised a fair and just trial process, ensuring that both the victims and the accused would feel that justice has been served. “The accused will not be oppressed, but no exemptions will be granted,” he assured.
When asked about the arrests, the Chief Prosecutor said the crimes are so grave that it will be necessary to apprehend the accused during the investigation. “We will work to ensure that offenders do not escape the court's jurisdiction,” he said.
He also mentioned the potential need for amending laws, saying, “We have just assumed responsibility. We will sit with the government and discuss necessary steps.”
Sheikh Hasina is currently in India, facing at least 11 charges of massacre for crimes committed across Bangladesh between July 5 and August 5, which are now under investigation.
On September 5, the Solicitors Wing of the Law and Justice Department announced the appointment of Mohammad Tajul Islam as Chief Prosecutor, along with four other Supreme Court lawyers as prosecutors of the ICT: Md Mizanul Islam, Gazi Monawar Hussain Tamim, BM Sultan Mahmud, and Abdullah Al Noman.
The International Crimes Tribunal was established in 2010 by the then Awami League-led government to prosecute crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War. Since its formation, hundreds of defendants have been tried, with six individuals executed for their involvement in crimes against humanity. Several top leaders from Jamaat-e-Islami and the BNP were sentenced to death or life imprisonment, with others still on trial.
