Staff Correspondent, Dhaka
The prosecution of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) said on Tuesday that they are finalizing probe reports for two crimes against humanity cases against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 45 others, incorporating information from the recently published UN fact-finding report.
"The reports are nearly complete. However, as you know, the United Nations (UN) Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recently released its fact-finding report on the July-August mass uprising. We are in the process of integrating information from that report into our probe reports, which requires a little more time," said Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam while requesting an extension from the tribunal.
The chief prosecutor further said that public hearings are being held at various private universities in the capital to gather testimonies from victims, while additional evidence is being collected from different hospitals.
"We need time to verify this information, conduct forensic tests, and incorporate the findings into the probe reports. While the process is taking some time, it is essential to ensure the reports are flawless; otherwise, we will be held accountable to the nation," he added.
Granting the prosecution’s request for additional time, the three-member tribunal, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, set April 20 as the deadline for submitting the probe reports.
Tajul Islam said: "The UN findings clearly state that the July-August atrocities were part of premeditated crimes carried out under Sheikh Hasina’s orders. Her associates, including Obaidul Quader, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and other leaders of the Awami League, Chhatra League, Jubo League, as well as members of the police, played active roles in these events.
"We need to incorporate these findings into our report to strengthen our case, which is why we have requested the relevant evidence from the UN," he added.
A total of 16 accused in one of the cases, including 11 former ministers from the previous Awami League government, were produced before the ICT on Tuesday.
The 16 accused are: Anisul Huq, Amir Hossain Amu, Shajahan Khan, Advocate Qamrul Islam, Lt Col (Retd) Faruk Khan, Dipu Moni, Dr Abdur Razzaque, Rashed Khan Menon, Hasanul Haq Inu, Kamal Ahmed Majumder, Golam Dastagir Gazi, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Salman F Rahman, Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik, and former home secretary Md Jahangir Alam.
