Dhaka: Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), Advocate Muhammad Tajul Islam, today stated that the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina had superior command responsibility over numerous killings, genocides, and crimes against humanity committed in the country over the past 16.5 years. ‘We all are talking about the killings, genocides, crimes against humanity committed during the July-August student mass uprising, but the regime of Sheikh Hasina committed numerous such crimes in the last sixteen and a half years and she had superior command responsibility over all those crimes,’ the ICT chief prosecutor said while taking part in the hearing of ICT, BD misc (miscellaneous) case no 2 against Sheikh Hasina.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Advocate Muhammad Tajul Islam further asserted that the regime of Sheikh Hasina, in a systematic, widespread, and targeted manner, killed thousands of people during this period. ‘They were involved in BDR carnage, enforced disappearances and raise
d ayna ghor to persecute, torture and eventually get rid of their political opponents. Around Taka two trillion was laundered abroad, raised Begum Para in foreign countries like Canada. As part of their evil attempt to divide and rule policy to keep their wicked regime going, they took refuge of the word ‘Razakar’ and used to tag those by this term, whoever dared to oppose them,’ he added.
The ICT chief prosecutor requested two months to submit a probe report in the case against Sheikh Hasina, citing the gravity and widespread nature of her alleged crimes as reasons for requiring additional time for investigation. ‘The authorities concerned could not execute the arrest warrant against Sheikh Hasina as she managed to flee the country. We, in the meantime, pleaded for issuing the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL red notice against her. We have learned she is in India and our government will request the country to send her back as per the repatriation agreement. The process is underway,’ Ta
jul added.
In response to the prosecution’s plea, the three-member ICT panel, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, set December 17, 2024, as the deadline for submitting the probe report in the case. The tribunal also ordered the prosecution to present a report on the execution of the order issuing an arrest warrant against the ousted prime minister by that date. The two other members of the tribunal are Justice Md Shofiqul Alam Mahmood and Judge M Mohitul Hoque Anam Chowdhury.