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The International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh has evolved done 3 chiseled phases implicit the past 55 years. In the archetypal phase, it was conceived nether Sheikh Mujibur Rahman erstwhile Bangladesh sought to present justness for the genocide of 1971. In the 2nd phase, his daughter, Sheikh Hasina, won the 2008 election, promising to usage the tribunal to punish the collaborators of 1971. In the 3rd phase, the aforesaid tribunal is present being utilized to present justness for those who mislaid their lives oregon were near injured during the crackdown by Ms. Hasina’s authorities successful July-August 2024.
With the autumn of Ms. Hasina, it became evident that the ICT would besides acquisition changes to suit the demands of the anti-Hasina forces present successful powerfulness successful Dhaka. Though described arsenic indispensable by the interim government, these changes exposed the tribunal to allegations of governmental bias. In October 2024, the interim authorities brought successful Golam Mortuza Mazumdar, a retired judge, to the International Crimes Tribunal.
Over the past year, the starring fig successful the ICT has been Mohammad Tajul Islam, a firebrand lawyer who has handled respective precocious illustration cases.
The tribunal has been divided into 2 wings: Tribunal 1, led by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumdar, and Tribunal 2, headed by Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, who took complaint successful May 2025. Tribunal 1 is considering the cases against Ms. Hasina, portion Tribunal 2 is examining cases against Ms. Hasina’s colleagues accused of complicity successful the violence.
The upcoming verdict of the ICT is not without its consciousness of irony. Though initiated successful 1973, the tribunal could not run nether Sheikh Mujibur Rahman arsenic Mujib started normalising ties with Pakistan successful 1974 aft attending the Lahore Islamic Summit, wherever helium met with Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. This gathering mellowed calls for justness successful the recently liberated Bangladesh. The ICT mislaid immoderate of its urgency during the years nether Ziaur Rahman, Abdus Sattar and General Ershad.
The contented of justness resurfaced during the 2007-2008 interim government, erstwhile Ms. Hasina campaigned to present justness to the survivors of the 1971 unit and revived the ICT Act of 1973. The tribunal aboriginal sentenced respective Jamaat leaders to death. The senior-most person of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Gholam Azam, was besides convicted.
The tribunal’s anti-Hasina borderline is sharpened by the information that Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam was the suspect for some Gholam Azam arsenic good arsenic different Jamaat leaders betwixt 2013 and 2016, erstwhile bulk of the superior punishments were handed out.
Dilemma remains
As the ICT prepares to present its verdict connected November 17, its dilemma remains the aforesaid arsenic 1973 and 2013-2016. The ICT was conceived to present justness successful a nationalist ineligible model for crimes defined arsenic heinous nether planetary law. The planetary space was necessitated arsenic the masterminds of the 1971 genocide was extracurricular Bangladesh — successful Pakistan. Similarly, during 2013-2016, the ICT punished Jamaat leaders wrong Bangladesh portion leaving the cases involving Pakistani nationals unaddressed. In 2025, astir of the main accused, including Ms. Hasina, are extracurricular the country, though immoderate of the accused successful cases of disappearance of governmental dissidents and quality rights activists are successful custody and are apt to beryllium tried nether Tribunal 2.
While the ICT has framed the crimes committed during the past weeks of Ms. Hasina’s regularisation nether planetary law, it is, however, not apt to beryllium regarded arsenic a purely home workout wrong Bangladesh. Official sources successful India person already indicated that they see the ICT a home ineligible mechanics and not arsenic an planetary platform. They besides constituent retired that the tribunal is not giving adjacent proceeding opportunities to the cardinal accused.
In caller written interviews, Ms. Hasina described the ICT arsenic “politically motivated”. The interim government, however, has denied these allegations, insisting that the justness for victims of July-August 2024 unit is simply a abstracted matter.
