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International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh)

March 09, 2023

The International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh) (ICT of Bangladesh) is a domestic war crimes tribunal in Bangladesh set up in 2009 to investigate and prosecute suspects for the genocide committed in 1971 by the Pakistan Army and their local collaborators, Razakars, Al-Badr and Al-Shams during the Bangladesh Liberation War.[1] During the 2008 general election, the Awami League (AL) pledged to try war criminals.[2] The government set up the tribunal after the Awami League won the general election in December 2008 with a more than two-thirds majority in parliament.

International Criminal Tribunal, Bangladesh
Old High Court Building (Dhaka) where the tribunal takes place
Established22 March 2012
LocationOld High Court Building, Dhaka
Authorized byThe International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973
Number of positions3 permanent
Websitewww.ict-bd.org
Chairman
CurrentlyThe Honourable Justice Md. Shahinur Islam
Member
CurrentlyThe Honourable Justice Amir Hossain
Member
CurrentlyThe Honourable Justice Md. Abu Ahmed Jamadar

The War Crimes Fact Finding Committee, tasked to investigate and find evidence, completed its report in 2008, identifying 1,600 suspects.[3][4] Prior to the formation of the ICT, the United Nations Development Programme offered assistance in 2009 on the tribunal's formation.[5] In 2009, the parliament amended the 1973 act that authorised such a tribunal to update it.[6] The first indictments were issued in 2010. However, the main perpetrators of the war crimes, the Pakistan soldiers, remained out of the reach of the courts.[7]

By 2012, nine leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamist party in the nation, and two of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, had been indicted as suspects in war crimes. Three leaders of Jamaat were the first tried; each were convicted of several charges of war crimes. The first person convicted was Abul Kalam Azad, tried in absentia as he had left the country; he was sentenced to death in January 2013.

The ICT initially received some offers of international assistance. In 2009, the UN offered its expertise, expressing an interest in helping Bangladesh avoid the problems other countries faced in similar trials.[8][9] The EU has passed three resolutions supporting the trials and Jean Lambert has said "she expected that the trial would conform to the highest standard possible."[10]

However, since the beginning of the trials several human rights organisations and international legal figures have raised objections to the court proceedings.[11] Human Rights Watch, which initially supported the establishment of the tribunal, have criticised it for issues of fairness and transparency, as well as reported harassment of lawyers and witnesses representing the accused.[12][13] Bianca Karim and Tirza Theunissen have written that the international community have voiced concerns that the trial will not be transparent or impartial.[14]

Jamaat-e-Islami supporters and their student wing, Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, called a general strike nationwide on 4 December 2012, which erupted in violence. The group demanded the tribunal be scrapped permanently and their leaders be released immediately.[15][16][17]

Annual public opinion polls regularly rank the war-crimes trials ranked among the top three "positive steps that the government has taken", though the issue is not considered among the top ten most pressing issues facing the country.[18] Polling in 2013 by AC Nielsen found that more than two-thirds of Bangladeshis characterise the ICT as "unfair" or "very unfair", though 86% support its implementation.[18]

In February 2013, Abdul Quader Molla, Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat, was the first person sentenced to death by the ICT who was not convicted in absentia.[18] Initially, Molla was sentenced to life imprisonment, but demonstrations, including the 2013 Shahbag protests in Dhaka, lead to a new punishment.[18]

Background

The events of the nine-month conflict of the Bangladesh Liberation War are widely viewed as genocide; the Pakistan Army and collaborators targeted mass people, intellectuals and members of the political opposition for attacks.[5][19][20][21] Historians have estimated that, during the conflict, between two hundred thousand[22] and four hundred thousand[23] women and children[24] were raped leading to an estimated 25,000 war babies being born.[25] Estimates of persons killed during the conflict range to three million.[26] An estimated ten million refugees entered India, a situation which contributed to its government's decision to intervene militarily in the civil war. Thirty million people were displaced.[26]

In 2009 Shafique Ahmed, the Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, announced that the trials would be organised under the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act 1973.[27] This act authorises prosecution only of persons living within Bangladesh who were members of the armed forces, including paramilitary groups. The act was amended in 2009 to update it, and the International Crimes Tribunal Rules of Procedure and Evidence were put in place by 2010. Some critics maintain that further amendments are needed to bring the act up to the standards of international law.[14]

Formation of the tribunal

Seeing the broad support for war crimes trials, the Awami League-led fourteen-party alliance included this in their election platform.[28] The Four-Party Alliance, including the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, had several alleged war criminals among their top-ranking politicians.[29]

The former freedom fighters and sector commanders of the liberation war pleaded with citizens against voting for the alleged war criminals.[30] The fourteen-party alliance won the election on 29 December 2008, with an overwhelming majority, a "historic landslide".[31] This was thought to be due to their commitment to prosecute war crimes.[31][32][33] On 29 January 2009, Mahmud-us-Samad Chowdhury, a member of the parliament (MP) from the Awami League (AL), proposed taking action to establish a tribunal to prosecute war crimes during a session of the Jatiyo Sangshad. A resolution was passed unanimously calling on the government to proceed as promised in the election.[34]

In 1973 the newly independent government of Bangladesh passed a law, the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act (ICT Act 1973), to authorise the investigation and prosecution of the persons responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other crimes under international law committed in 1971. The act was a complete in itself.[35]

On 25 March 2009 the government voted to try the war criminals according to the ICT Act of 1973[36][37] but planned amendments to bring the law up to date and in keeping with international standards for similar trials. As a part of the amendment procedure, the government sent the act to the Law Commission, where it was scrutinised by specialist lawyers, judges and professors of the universities.[37][38] On 9 July 2009, Parliament amended the act as recommended by the commission.[39]

The amendments provided that a political party that had worked against the liberation of Bangladesh could be tried on the same charges as individuals. They also authorised the government to file appeals with the Appellate Division if the tribunal ruled for acquittal for a suspect.[39] The International Bar Association has stated that the "1973 Legislation, together with the 2009 amending text, provides a system which is broadly compatible with current international standards."[40]

On 25 March 2010, the government announced the formation of the following: a three-member judges' tribunal, a seven-member investigation agency, and a twelve-member prosecution team to hold the trials according to the ICT Act of 1973. This landmark announcement was made on the 39th anniversary of the Operation Searchlight massacre by the Pakistan Army on 25 March 1971.[28][41]

The three judges appointed were Mohammed Nizamul Huq as chairman, with A.T.M. Fazle Kabir and A.K.M. Zahir Ahmed.[42]

Persons appointed to the investigative agency to assist state prosecutors were Abdul Matin, Abdur Rahim, Kutubur Rahman, ASM Shamsul Arefin, Mir Shahidul Islam, Nurul Islam and M. Abdur Razzak Khan.[43]

Golam Arif Tipu was named as Chief Prosecutor. The others are A.K.M. Saiful Islam, Syed Rezaur Rahman, Golam Hasnayen, Rana Das Gupta, Zahirul Huq, Nurul Islam Sujan, Syed Haider Ali, Khandaker Abdul Mannan, Mosharraf Hossain Kajal, Zead Al-Malum, Sanjida Khanom, and Sultan Mahmud Semon.[43]

Indictments

The first nearly dozen men indicted include nine leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamist party in the nation and opposed to independence in 1971:[44] Ghulam Azam, in 1971 chief of the erstwhile East Pakistan unit of the party; incumbent chief Matiur Rahman Nizami, deputy Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid; assistant secretary generals Muhammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Molla; media doyen Mir Kashem Ali, who heads the pro-Jamaat Diganta Media Corporation; Miah Golam Parwar;[45] and Abul Kalam Azad, an Islamic cleric formerly associated with the party.[44]

Two leaders of the opposition Bangladesh National Party were also indicted: former government ministers Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury and Abdul Alim.[44]

Accused and verdicts

Abul Kalam Azad

Abul Kalam Azad, a nationally known Islamic cleric and former member of Jamaat, was charged with genocide, rape, abduction, confinement and torture. He was tried in absentia after having fled the country; the police believe he is in Pakistan.[46] In January 2013 Azad was the first suspect to be convicted in the trials; he was found guilty of seven of eight charges and sentenced to death by hanging.[47] Azad's defence lawyer, a prominent Supreme Court lawyer appointed by the state, did not have any witnesses in the case; he said Azad's family failed to co-operate in helping locate witnesses and refused to testify.[48]

United Nations human rights experts expressed concern that the trial did not meet all the criteria of a fair trial and due process.[49] Speaking for the British government, Sayeeda Warsi said of the verdict, "The British government supports the efforts of Bangladesh to bring to justice those responsible for committing atrocities during the 1971 War, although we remain strongly opposed to the application of the death penalty in all circumstances." The French Ambassador to Bangladesh, Michel Trinquier, and the German Ambassador Albrecht Conze each said that individual nations must find their own ways to deal with past events.[50] The US state department has said, "The United States supports bringing to justice those who commit such crimes. However, we believe that any such trials must be free, fair, and transparent, and in accordance with domestic standards and international standards Bangladesh has agreed to uphold through its ratification of international agreements, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights."[51]

Abdul Quader Mollah

On 5 February 2013, the ICT sentenced Abdul Quader Mollah, assistant secretary of Jamaat, to life imprisonment.[52] Mollah was convicted on five of six counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes.[53] He was accused of shooting 344 people and the rape of an 11-year-old girl.[54] In protest of the trials which it said were politically motivated, Jamaat members called a general strike in Dhaka that erupted in violence.

Following the verdict, large-scale, non-violent protests started on 5 February 2013 in Dhaka, with demonstrators calling for the death penalty for Mollah and any others convicted of war crimes.[55] Tens of thousands of people filled the Shahbag intersection, with more coming in the days following.[56] The protest spread to other parts of the country, with sit-ins and demonstrations taking place in Chittagong, Sylhet, Barisal, Mymensingh, Khulna, Rajbari, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sunamganj, Noakhali and Narsingdi.[57][58] Following these mass protests, in September 2013 the Supreme Court overturned his life sentence and imposed the death penalty.[59]

Quader Molla was executed on 12 December 2013 at 22:01 in a Dhaka jail, the first person to be put to death for events in 1971.[59] The JEI called it a "political killing."[60] He was later buried in his village of Faridpur.[61]

Delwar Hossain Sayeedi

On 28 February 2013, Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, the deputy of Jamaat, was found guilty of genocide, rape and religious persecution. He was sentenced to death by hanging.[62] His defence lawyer had earlier complained that a witness who was supposed to testify for him was abducted from the gates of the courthouse on 5 November 2012, reportedly by police, and has not been heard from since. The government did not seem to take the issue seriously after the prosecution denied there was a problem.[63] By afternoon on the day of the protest, violence had erupted across Bangladesh between Islamic activists and police forces. By the end of 3 March 2013, almost 80 people were dead, including many police officers. An estimated 2000 people were injured countrywide.[64][65][66][67] On 17 September 2014, the Appellate Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court reduced sentence of Delwar Hossain Sayedee revising the death sentence to 'imprisonment till death' for crimes against humanity in 1971.[68]

Muhammad Kamaruzzaman

Muhammad Kamaruzzaman was indicted on 7 June 2012 on 7 counts of crimes against humanity.[69] On 9 May 2013 he was convicted and given the death penalty on five counts of mass killings, rape, torture and kidnapping.[70] He was hanged on 11 April 2015.[71]

Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin

On 3 November 2013, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin to death after the tribunal found him guilty of torture and murder of 18 intellectuals during 1971 Liberation war of Bangladesh.

Ghulam Azam

Ghulam Azam was found guilty by the ICT on five counts. Incitement, conspiracy, planning, abetment and failure to prevent murder. He was sentenced on 15 July 2013 to 90 years imprisonment. The tribunal spared Azam from execution due to his old age.[72] He died of a stroke on 23 October 2014 at BSMMU.[73]

Ali Ahsan Mojaheed

Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed was sentenced to death by hanging on 17 July 2013[74] and hanged on 22 November 2015.

Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury

Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury was sentenced to death by hanging on 1 October 2013 .[75] and hanged on 22 November 2015.[76][77]

AKM Yusuf

On 2 February 2014, Jamaat-e-Islami leader AKM Yusuf, who was also on trial for crimes against humanity, died in prison. Yusuf was alleged[78] to be the founder of infamous Peace Committees and Razakar force in the greater Khulna region. He was indicted on 13 charges of genocide and crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.[79]

Motiur Rahman Nizami

On 29 October 2014, Motiur Rahman Nizami was sentenced to death for war crimes committed during the 1971 independence war against Pakistan.[80] He was hanged on 11 May 2016.[81]

Mir Quasem Ali

On 2 November 2014, Jamaat-e-Islami politician Mir Quasem Ali was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.[82] He was hanged on 3 September 2016.[83]

Criticism and controversies

Concerns for human rights

The tribunal has been criticised by observers in Bangladesh and overseas as being biased and problematic,[84] and "lacking basic standards."[85] Brad Adams, director of the Asia branch of Human Rights Watch, said in November 2012: "The trials against (...) the alleged war criminals are deeply problematic, riddled with questions about the independence and impartiality of the judges and fairness of the process.[86] In its November 2012 report, Human Rights Watch found that "glaring violations of fair trial standards" became apparent during 2012 but noted that changes were made in June 2012 which improved the process.[87] Adams said, "If the Bangladeshi government wants these trials to be taken seriously it must ensure that the rights of the accused are fully respected. That means making sure that lawyers and witnesses don't face threats or coercion.[13] Toby Cadman, an international law expert who is an advisor to the Jamaat leaders has been highly critical of the ICT, saying of the international community "Expressing concern will not be enough. The international community should take quick action to stop the injustice being committed against Jamaat leaders,"[88]

In January 2013, Brad Adams of Human Rights Watch (HRW) noted concern about Shukho Ranjan Bali, who had first appeared as a witness for the prosecution in the Delwar Hossain Sayeedi case. The defence said he was due to give additional evidence in their favour on 5 November 2012. That day Bali was stopped before entering the courthouse by several police officers; witnesses said he was taken away in a white police van. HRW criticised the Bangladeshi government for not working to find him and for its lack of adequate response to allegations criticising the tribunal. The attorney general rejected the abduction claim as a fabrication by the defence to bring the tribunal into disrepute.[63] In May 2013, Bali was found in an Indian prison, and he alleged state abduction and that officials told him that both he and Sayeedi would be killed.[89]

In March 2013, The Economist criticised the tribunal, mentioning government interference, restrictions on public discussion, not enough time allocated for the defence, the kidnapping of a defence witness and the judge resigning due to controversy over his neutrality.[90]

2012 Skype controversy

Main article: 2012 ICT Skype controversy

In December 2012, The Economist published contents of leaked communications between the chief justice of the tribunal, Mohammed Nizamul Huq, and Ahmed Ziauddin, a Bangladeshi attorney in Brussels who specialises in international law and is director of the Bangladesh Centre for Genocide Studies. Huq issued an order for The Economist bureau chief and Asia specialist to appear before the tribunal to explain how they got the materials.[91] The Economist said in response, "We did not solicit the material, nor pay for it, nor commit ourselves to publish it".[92] After the leaked communication was published in a local daily, Huq resigned from the tribunal.[93] He had been revealed to have had "prohibited contact" with the "prosecution, government officials, and an external adviser."[63]

According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the e-mails and Skype calls showed that Ziauddin was playing an important part in the proceedings, although he had no legal standing. The WSJ also said that the communications suggested that the Bangladeshi government was trying to secure a quick verdict, as Huq referred to pressure from a government official.[93]

Human Rights Watch and defence lawyers acting for the suspects, Ghulam Azam and Delawar Hossain Sayeedi, requested retrials for the two because of the controversy during their trials.[93][94] Mahbubey Alam, the Attorney General, suggested that the hacking was an attempt to disrupt the trial.[95] Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, said the trials would continue regardless of this incident and Huq's resignation.[96] Fazle Kabir was appointed as chair of the ICT.[97] Brad Adams of Human Rights Watch expressed concern that, because of changes among all the judges in the course of the trial, none of the three judges in Sayeedi's case would have heard the entirety of the testimony before reaching a verdict.[94]

Allegations by the government

Shafique Ahmed, the Minister of Law and Justice, referring to Ziauddin, said that Huq "sought help on procedural matters from an expert. That's not illegal or uncommon."[98] Amnesty International criticised the arrest of Mahmudur Rahman, who had published the hacked files in the daily Amar Desh. The government obtained a court order that accused Rahman of sedition; but Amnesty said that his newspaper stopped publishing the story once the government ban came into effect on 13 December.[99]

Shafique Ahmed alleged that Jamaat-e-Islami has paid US$25 million to lobbyists in the USA and the UK to influence public opinion against the trials.[100] Mizanur Rahman, chair of the National Human Rights Commission, complained about the lobbying efforts, saying there was misinformation being spread among western nations about the war crimes tribunal.[101]

Shibir protests

Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat, led huge protests against the trials beginning with a general strike on 4 December 2012; they were attacked by police whenever they want to come down the streets to protest.[15][16][17] In one incident in shatkhira police shot open fire, which resulted in three Shibir workers being injured.[45] In this reaction, Numerous vehicles, including one of the US embassy in Dhaka, were torched and vandalised.[102][103][104] In one incident, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the activists. One Jamaat-e-Islami activist was killed and scores were injured when police used live ammunition against the protesters during clashes in December 2012.[citation needed] The activists were demanding the release of Miah Golam Parwar, Delawar Hossain Sayedee and other party members being tried.[45][105]

Reactions

The UN Human Rights Council expressed deep concern over the death sentence handed down by the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal against two opposition leaders in Bangladesh, including Matiur Rahman Nizami, noting the court's practices have not met international standards of fair trial and due process.[87][85]

Turkey also withdrew its ambassador from Dhaka in protest of the execution of Matiur Rahman Nizami, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan strongly condemned the execution. A top Turkish diplomat called the execution a "huge mistake" by Bangladesh.[106]

Amnesty International has strongly criticized the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh. And said that the tribunal is not fully following international standards. Amnesty International also says there have been many flaws in the trial from the beginning, some of which have been corrected, but many problems remain, To ensure international standards, as well as the victims those who are being tried must also consider human rights and justice.[107]

Human Rights Watch initially supported the establishment of the tribunal and recommended amendments to the 1973 law. The government already had planned to update the law, and proceeded in consultation with experts, as noted above.[12]

When the tribunal was being planned, Stephen Rapp, the United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, said that the "US government will help Bangladesh hold an open and transparent war crimes trial with the rights of defense for the accused."[8] Kristine A. Huskey, writing for the NGO Crimes of War, said Rapp gave a ten-page letter to the prosecution which included recommendations and various concerns.[108]

A WikiLeaks leaked cable in November 2010 from the US State Department said, "There is little doubt that hard-line elements within the ruling party Awami League believe that the time is right to crush Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and other Islamic parties."[109]

Bangladeshi opposition political parties have demanded the release of those held, claiming the arrests are politically motivated.[8] Shafique Ahmed, the Minister of Law and Justice, disagrees, saying, "No one is being arrested or tried on religious or political grounds."[110]

Steven Kay, a British Queen's Counsel and criminal attorney, has been part of the defence team for Delwar Hossain Sayeedi.[111] He had earlier criticised the authorising legislation and 2009 amendments, saying: "The current system of war crimes trial and its law in Bangladesh does not include international concerns, required to ensure a fair, impartial and transparent trial."[112] The ICT accused him of violating the British bar's code of conduct.[113]

The Turkish president Abdullah Gül sent a letter to the tribunal asking that clemency be shown to those accused of war crimes.[114] The European Parliament has passed three resolutions supporting the trials, though in at least one, it expressed its "strong opposition against the use of the death penalty in all cases and under any circumstances and its call on the Bangladesh authorities to commute all death sentences and introduce a moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolition of capital punishment."[115] Jean Lambert welcomed the trials and said she expected them to adhere to international standards.[10] Mizanur Rahman, chair of the National Human Rights Commission, has said the trials do adhere to international law as the "national standards are in compliance with international standards".[116] Sam Zarifi of the International Commission of Jurists expressed concern that the flawed nature of trials conducted at the ICT could deepen the divisions in Bangladeshi society which resulted from the war of 1971, rather than heal them.[117]

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has said that the arbitrary detention of the suspects and refusal by the government to grant bail to them violates Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Shafique Ahmed has responded, "It is not right to think that the accused are being detained without any reason. There are no violations of human rights in the ongoing trial of crimes against humanity, and questions of human rights violation are being raised simply to create confusion."[118]

Some human rights advocates are concerned that the mass rapes and killings of women may not be fully addressed in the prosecutions.[119] Irene Khan, a Bangladeshi human rights activist, has described the government's response to abuses against women in the liberation war as the following:

A conservative Muslim society has preferred to throw a veil of negligence and denial on the issue, allowed those who committed or colluded with gender violence to thrive, and left the women victims to struggle in anonymity and shame and without much state or community support.[119]

The Bangladeshi government has dismissed criticisms of the legal provisions and fairness of the tribunal. Shafique Ahmed, the Minister of Law and Justice, said:

There is no scope for questioning the fairness and standard of the ongoing trial for war crimes during the Liberation War in 1971.[120]

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External links

  • Homepage: http://www.ict-bd.org/ (judgments: ICT1/fkdldllxICT2)
  • THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMES (TRIBUNALS) ACT, 1973 (Act No. XIX OF 1973), Bangladesh Laws website
  • "Opinion of the Law Commission on the technical aspects of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973 (Act No. XIX of 1973)" (PDF). Law Commission of Bangladesh.

March 09, 2023
international, crimes, tribunal, bangladesh, bangladesh, domestic, crimes, tribunal, bangladesh, 2009, investigate, prosecute, suspects, genocide, committed, 1971, pakistan, army, their, local, collaborators, razakars, badr, shams, during, bangladesh, liberati. The International Crimes Tribunal Bangladesh ICT of Bangladesh is a domestic war crimes tribunal in Bangladesh set up in 2009 to investigate and prosecute suspects for the genocide committed in 1971 by the Pakistan Army and their local collaborators Razakars Al Badr and Al Shams during the Bangladesh Liberation War 1 During the 2008 general election the Awami League AL pledged to try war criminals 2 The government set up the tribunal after the Awami League won the general election in December 2008 with a more than two thirds majority in parliament International Criminal Tribunal BangladeshOld High Court Building Dhaka where the tribunal takes placeEstablished22 March 2012LocationOld High Court Building DhakaAuthorized byThe International Crimes Tribunals Act 1973Number of positions3 permanentWebsitewww wbr ict bd wbr orgChairmanCurrentlyThe Honourable Justice Md Shahinur IslamMemberCurrentlyThe Honourable Justice Amir HossainMemberCurrentlyThe Honourable Justice Md Abu Ahmed JamadarThe War Crimes Fact Finding Committee tasked to investigate and find evidence completed its report in 2008 identifying 1 600 suspects 3 4 Prior to the formation of the ICT the United Nations Development Programme offered assistance in 2009 on the tribunal s formation 5 In 2009 the parliament amended the 1973 act that authorised such a tribunal to update it 6 The first indictments were issued in 2010 However the main perpetrators of the war crimes the Pakistan soldiers remained out of the reach of the courts 7 By 2012 nine leaders of Jamaat e Islami the largest Islamist party in the nation and two of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party had been indicted as suspects in war crimes Three leaders of Jamaat were the first tried each were convicted of several charges of war crimes The first person convicted was Abul Kalam Azad tried in absentia as he had left the country he was sentenced to death in January 2013 The ICT initially received some offers of international assistance In 2009 the UN offered its expertise expressing an interest in helping Bangladesh avoid the problems other countries faced in similar trials 8 9 The EU has passed three resolutions supporting the trials and Jean Lambert has said she expected that the trial would conform to the highest standard possible 10 However since the beginning of the trials several human rights organisations and international legal figures have raised objections to the court proceedings 11 Human Rights Watch which initially supported the establishment of the tribunal have criticised it for issues of fairness and transparency as well as reported harassment of lawyers and witnesses representing the accused 12 13 Bianca Karim and Tirza Theunissen have written that the international community have voiced concerns that the trial will not be transparent or impartial 14 Jamaat e Islami supporters and their student wing Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir called a general strike nationwide on 4 December 2012 which erupted in violence The group demanded the tribunal be scrapped permanently and their leaders be released immediately 15 16 17 Annual public opinion polls regularly rank the war crimes trials ranked among the top three positive steps that the government has taken though the issue is not considered among the top ten most pressing issues facing the country 18 Polling in 2013 by AC Nielsen found that more than two thirds of Bangladeshis characterise the ICT as unfair or very unfair though 86 support its implementation 18 In February 2013 Abdul Quader Molla Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat was the first person sentenced to death by the ICT who was not convicted in absentia 18 Initially Molla was sentenced to life imprisonment but demonstrations including the 2013 Shahbag protests in Dhaka lead to a new punishment 18 Contents 1 Background 2 Formation of the tribunal 3 Indictments 4 Accused and verdicts 4 1 Abul Kalam Azad 4 2 Abdul Quader Mollah 4 3 Delwar Hossain Sayeedi 4 4 Muhammad Kamaruzzaman 4 5 Chowdhury Mueen Uddin 4 6 Ghulam Azam 4 7 Ali Ahsan Mojaheed 4 8 Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury 4 9 AKM Yusuf 4 10 Motiur Rahman Nizami 4 11 Mir Quasem Ali 5 Criticism and controversies 5 1 Concerns for human rights 5 2 2012 Skype controversy 5 3 Allegations by the government 5 4 Shibir protests 5 5 Reactions 6 References 7 External linksBackground EditThe events of the nine month conflict of the Bangladesh Liberation War are widely viewed as genocide the Pakistan Army and collaborators targeted mass people intellectuals and members of the political opposition for attacks 5 19 20 21 Historians have estimated that during the conflict between two hundred thousand 22 and four hundred thousand 23 women and children 24 were raped leading to an estimated 25 000 war babies being born 25 Estimates of persons killed during the conflict range to three million 26 An estimated ten million refugees entered India a situation which contributed to its government s decision to intervene militarily in the civil war Thirty million people were displaced 26 In 2009 Shafique Ahmed the Minister of Law Justice and Parliamentary Affairs announced that the trials would be organised under the International Crimes Tribunal Act 1973 27 This act authorises prosecution only of persons living within Bangladesh who were members of the armed forces including paramilitary groups The act was amended in 2009 to update it and the International Crimes Tribunal Rules of Procedure and Evidence were put in place by 2010 Some critics maintain that further amendments are needed to bring the act up to the standards of international law 14 Formation of the tribunal EditSeeing the broad support for war crimes trials the Awami League led fourteen party alliance included this in their election platform 28 The Four Party Alliance including the BNP and Jamaat e Islami had several alleged war criminals among their top ranking politicians 29 The former freedom fighters and sector commanders of the liberation war pleaded with citizens against voting for the alleged war criminals 30 The fourteen party alliance won the election on 29 December 2008 with an overwhelming majority a historic landslide 31 This was thought to be due to their commitment to prosecute war crimes 31 32 33 On 29 January 2009 Mahmud us Samad Chowdhury a member of the parliament MP from the Awami League AL proposed taking action to establish a tribunal to prosecute war crimes during a session of the Jatiyo Sangshad A resolution was passed unanimously calling on the government to proceed as promised in the election 34 In 1973 the newly independent government of Bangladesh passed a law the International Crimes Tribunals Act ICT Act 1973 to authorise the investigation and prosecution of the persons responsible for genocide crimes against humanity war crimes and other crimes under international law committed in 1971 The act was a complete in itself 35 On 25 March 2009 the government voted to try the war criminals according to the ICT Act of 1973 36 37 but planned amendments to bring the law up to date and in keeping with international standards for similar trials As a part of the amendment procedure the government sent the act to the Law Commission where it was scrutinised by specialist lawyers judges and professors of the universities 37 38 On 9 July 2009 Parliament amended the act as recommended by the commission 39 The amendments provided that a political party that had worked against the liberation of Bangladesh could be tried on the same charges as individuals They also authorised the government to file appeals with the Appellate Division if the tribunal ruled for acquittal for a suspect 39 The International Bar Association has stated that the 1973 Legislation together with the 2009 amending text provides a system which is broadly compatible with current international standards 40 On 25 March 2010 the government announced the formation of the following a three member judges tribunal a seven member investigation agency and a twelve member prosecution team to hold the trials according to the ICT Act of 1973 This landmark announcement was made on the 39th anniversary of the Operation Searchlight massacre by the Pakistan Army on 25 March 1971 28 41 The three judges appointed were Mohammed Nizamul Huq as chairman with A T M Fazle Kabir and A K M Zahir Ahmed 42 Persons appointed to the investigative agency to assist state prosecutors were Abdul Matin Abdur Rahim Kutubur Rahman ASM Shamsul Arefin Mir Shahidul Islam Nurul Islam and M Abdur Razzak Khan 43 Golam Arif Tipu was named as Chief Prosecutor The others are A K M Saiful Islam Syed Rezaur Rahman Golam Hasnayen Rana Das Gupta Zahirul Huq Nurul Islam Sujan Syed Haider Ali Khandaker Abdul Mannan Mosharraf Hossain Kajal Zead Al Malum Sanjida Khanom and Sultan Mahmud Semon 43 Indictments EditThe first nearly dozen men indicted include nine leaders of Jamaat e Islami the largest Islamist party in the nation and opposed to independence in 1971 44 Ghulam Azam in 1971 chief of the erstwhile East Pakistan unit of the party incumbent chief Matiur Rahman Nizami deputy Delwar Hossain Sayeedi secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid assistant secretary generals Muhammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Molla media doyen Mir Kashem Ali who heads the pro Jamaat Diganta Media Corporation Miah Golam Parwar 45 and Abul Kalam Azad an Islamic cleric formerly associated with the party 44 Two leaders of the opposition Bangladesh National Party were also indicted former government ministers Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury and Abdul Alim 44 Accused and verdicts EditAbul Kalam Azad Edit Abul Kalam Azad a nationally known Islamic cleric and former member of Jamaat was charged with genocide rape abduction confinement and torture He was tried in absentia after having fled the country the police believe he is in Pakistan 46 In January 2013 Azad was the first suspect to be convicted in the trials he was found guilty of seven of eight charges and sentenced to death by hanging 47 Azad s defence lawyer a prominent Supreme Court lawyer appointed by the state did not have any witnesses in the case he said Azad s family failed to co operate in helping locate witnesses and refused to testify 48 United Nations human rights experts expressed concern that the trial did not meet all the criteria of a fair trial and due process 49 Speaking for the British government Sayeeda Warsi said of the verdict The British government supports the efforts of Bangladesh to bring to justice those responsible for committing atrocities during the 1971 War although we remain strongly opposed to the application of the death penalty in all circumstances The French Ambassador to Bangladesh Michel Trinquier and the German Ambassador Albrecht Conze each said that individual nations must find their own ways to deal with past events 50 The US state department has said The United States supports bringing to justice those who commit such crimes However we believe that any such trials must be free fair and transparent and in accordance with domestic standards and international standards Bangladesh has agreed to uphold through its ratification of international agreements including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 51 Abdul Quader Mollah Edit On 5 February 2013 the ICT sentenced Abdul Quader Mollah assistant secretary of Jamaat to life imprisonment 52 Mollah was convicted on five of six counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes 53 He was accused of shooting 344 people and the rape of an 11 year old girl 54 In protest of the trials which it said were politically motivated Jamaat members called a general strike in Dhaka that erupted in violence Following the verdict large scale non violent protests started on 5 February 2013 in Dhaka with demonstrators calling for the death penalty for Mollah and any others convicted of war crimes 55 Tens of thousands of people filled the Shahbag intersection with more coming in the days following 56 The protest spread to other parts of the country with sit ins and demonstrations taking place in Chittagong Sylhet Barisal Mymensingh Khulna Rajbari Rajshahi Rangpur Sunamganj Noakhali and Narsingdi 57 58 Following these mass protests in September 2013 the Supreme Court overturned his life sentence and imposed the death penalty 59 Quader Molla was executed on 12 December 2013 at 22 01 in a Dhaka jail the first person to be put to death for events in 1971 59 The JEI called it a political killing 60 He was later buried in his village of Faridpur 61 Delwar Hossain Sayeedi Edit On 28 February 2013 Delwar Hossain Sayeedi the deputy of Jamaat was found guilty of genocide rape and religious persecution He was sentenced to death by hanging 62 His defence lawyer had earlier complained that a witness who was supposed to testify for him was abducted from the gates of the courthouse on 5 November 2012 reportedly by police and has not been heard from since The government did not seem to take the issue seriously after the prosecution denied there was a problem 63 By afternoon on the day of the protest violence had erupted across Bangladesh between Islamic activists and police forces By the end of 3 March 2013 almost 80 people were dead including many police officers An estimated 2000 people were injured countrywide 64 65 66 67 On 17 September 2014 the Appellate Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court reduced sentence of Delwar Hossain Sayedee revising the death sentence to imprisonment till death for crimes against humanity in 1971 68 Muhammad Kamaruzzaman Edit Muhammad Kamaruzzaman was indicted on 7 June 2012 on 7 counts of crimes against humanity 69 On 9 May 2013 he was convicted and given the death penalty on five counts of mass killings rape torture and kidnapping 70 He was hanged on 11 April 2015 71 Chowdhury Mueen Uddin Edit On 3 November 2013 the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Chowdhury Mueen Uddin to death after the tribunal found him guilty of torture and murder of 18 intellectuals during 1971 Liberation war of Bangladesh Ghulam Azam Edit Ghulam Azam was found guilty by the ICT on five counts Incitement conspiracy planning abetment and failure to prevent murder He was sentenced on 15 July 2013 to 90 years imprisonment The tribunal spared Azam from execution due to his old age 72 He died of a stroke on 23 October 2014 at BSMMU 73 Ali Ahsan Mojaheed Edit Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed was sentenced to death by hanging on 17 July 2013 74 and hanged on 22 November 2015 Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury Edit Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury was sentenced to death by hanging on 1 October 2013 75 and hanged on 22 November 2015 76 77 AKM Yusuf Edit On 2 February 2014 Jamaat e Islami leader AKM Yusuf who was also on trial for crimes against humanity died in prison Yusuf was alleged 78 to be the founder of infamous Peace Committees and Razakar force in the greater Khulna region He was indicted on 13 charges of genocide and crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971 79 Motiur Rahman Nizami Edit On 29 October 2014 Motiur Rahman Nizami was sentenced to death for war crimes committed during the 1971 independence war against Pakistan 80 He was hanged on 11 May 2016 81 Mir Quasem Ali Edit On 2 November 2014 Jamaat e Islami politician Mir Quasem Ali was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971 82 He was hanged on 3 September 2016 83 Criticism and controversies EditConcerns for human rights Edit The tribunal has been criticised by observers in Bangladesh and overseas as being biased and problematic 84 and lacking basic standards 85 Brad Adams director of the Asia branch of Human Rights Watch said in November 2012 The trials against the alleged war criminals are deeply problematic riddled with questions about the independence and impartiality of the judges and fairness of the process 86 In its November 2012 report Human Rights Watch found that glaring violations of fair trial standards became apparent during 2012 but noted that changes were made in June 2012 which improved the process 87 Adams said If the Bangladeshi government wants these trials to be taken seriously it must ensure that the rights of the accused are fully respected That means making sure that lawyers and witnesses don t face threats or coercion 13 Toby Cadman an international law expert who is an advisor to the Jamaat leaders has been highly critical of the ICT saying of the international community Expressing concern will not be enough The international community should take quick action to stop the injustice being committed against Jamaat leaders 88 In January 2013 Brad Adams of Human Rights Watch HRW noted concern about Shukho Ranjan Bali who had first appeared as a witness for the prosecution in the Delwar Hossain Sayeedi case The defence said he was due to give additional evidence in their favour on 5 November 2012 That day Bali was stopped before entering the courthouse by several police officers witnesses said he was taken away in a white police van HRW criticised the Bangladeshi government for not working to find him and for its lack of adequate response to allegations criticising the tribunal The attorney general rejected the abduction claim as a fabrication by the defence to bring the tribunal into disrepute 63 In May 2013 Bali was found in an Indian prison and he alleged state abduction and that officials told him that both he and Sayeedi would be killed 89 In March 2013 The Economist criticised the tribunal mentioning government interference restrictions on public discussion not enough time allocated for the defence the kidnapping of a defence witness and the judge resigning due to controversy over his neutrality 90 2012 Skype controversy Edit Main article 2012 ICT Skype controversy In December 2012 The Economist published contents of leaked communications between the chief justice of the tribunal Mohammed Nizamul Huq and Ahmed Ziauddin a Bangladeshi attorney in Brussels who specialises in international law and is director of the Bangladesh Centre for Genocide Studies Huq issued an order for The Economist bureau chief and Asia specialist to appear before the tribunal to explain how they got the materials 91 The Economist said in response We did not solicit the material nor pay for it nor commit ourselves to publish it 92 After the leaked communication was published in a local daily Huq resigned from the tribunal 93 He had been revealed to have had prohibited contact with the prosecution government officials and an external adviser 63 According to The Wall Street Journal WSJ the e mails and Skype calls showed that Ziauddin was playing an important part in the proceedings although he had no legal standing The WSJ also said that the communications suggested that the Bangladeshi government was trying to secure a quick verdict as Huq referred to pressure from a government official 93 Human Rights Watch and defence lawyers acting for the suspects Ghulam Azam and Delawar Hossain Sayeedi requested retrials for the two because of the controversy during their trials 93 94 Mahbubey Alam the Attorney General suggested that the hacking was an attempt to disrupt the trial 95 Sheikh Hasina the Prime Minister of Bangladesh said the trials would continue regardless of this incident and Huq s resignation 96 Fazle Kabir was appointed as chair of the ICT 97 Brad Adams of Human Rights Watch expressed concern that because of changes among all the judges in the course of the trial none of the three judges in Sayeedi s case would have heard the entirety of the testimony before reaching a verdict 94 Allegations by the government Edit Shafique Ahmed the Minister of Law and Justice referring to Ziauddin said that Huq sought help on procedural matters from an expert That s not illegal or uncommon 98 Amnesty International criticised the arrest of Mahmudur Rahman who had published the hacked files in the daily Amar Desh The government obtained a court order that accused Rahman of sedition but Amnesty said that his newspaper stopped publishing the story once the government ban came into effect on 13 December 99 Shafique Ahmed alleged that Jamaat e Islami has paid US 25 million to lobbyists in the USA and the UK to influence public opinion against the trials 100 Mizanur Rahman chair of the National Human Rights Commission complained about the lobbying efforts saying there was misinformation being spread among western nations about the war crimes tribunal 101 Shibir protests Edit Shibir the student wing of Jamaat led huge protests against the trials beginning with a general strike on 4 December 2012 they were attacked by police whenever they want to come down the streets to protest 15 16 17 In one incident in shatkhira police shot open fire which resulted in three Shibir workers being injured 45 In this reaction Numerous vehicles including one of the US embassy in Dhaka were torched and vandalised 102 103 104 In one incident police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the activists One Jamaat e Islami activist was killed and scores were injured when police used live ammunition against the protesters during clashes in December 2012 citation needed The activists were demanding the release of Miah Golam Parwar Delawar Hossain Sayedee and other party members being tried 45 105 Reactions Edit The UN Human Rights Council expressed deep concern over the death sentence handed down by the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal against two opposition leaders in Bangladesh including Matiur Rahman Nizami noting the court s practices have not met international standards of fair trial and due process 87 85 Turkey also withdrew its ambassador from Dhaka in protest of the execution of Matiur Rahman Nizami and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan strongly condemned the execution A top Turkish diplomat called the execution a huge mistake by Bangladesh 106 Amnesty International has strongly criticized the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh And said that the tribunal is not fully following international standards Amnesty International also says there have been many flaws in the trial from the beginning some of which have been corrected but many problems remain To ensure international standards as well as the victims those who are being tried must also consider human rights and justice 107 Human Rights Watch initially supported the establishment of the tribunal and recommended amendments to the 1973 law The government already had planned to update the law and proceeded in consultation with experts as noted above 12 When the tribunal was being planned Stephen Rapp the United States Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues said that the US government will help Bangladesh hold an open and transparent war crimes trial with the rights of defense for the accused 8 Kristine A Huskey writing for the NGO Crimes of War said Rapp gave a ten page letter to the prosecution which included recommendations and various concerns 108 A WikiLeaks leaked cable in November 2010 from the US State Department said There is little doubt that hard line elements within the ruling party Awami League believe that the time is right to crush Bangladesh Jamaat e Islami and other Islamic parties 109 Bangladeshi opposition political parties have demanded the release of those held claiming the arrests are politically motivated 8 Shafique Ahmed the Minister of Law and Justice disagrees saying No one is being arrested or tried on religious or political grounds 110 Steven Kay a British Queen s Counsel and criminal attorney has been part of the defence team for Delwar Hossain Sayeedi 111 He had earlier criticised the authorising legislation and 2009 amendments saying The current system of war crimes trial and its law in Bangladesh does not include international concerns required to ensure a fair impartial and transparent trial 112 The ICT accused him of violating the British bar s code of conduct 113 The Turkish president Abdullah Gul sent a letter to the tribunal asking that clemency be shown to those accused of war crimes 114 The European Parliament has passed three resolutions supporting the trials though in at least one it expressed its strong opposition against the use of the death penalty in all cases and under any circumstances and its call on the Bangladesh authorities to commute all death sentences and introduce a moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolition of capital punishment 115 Jean Lambert welcomed the trials and said she expected them to adhere to international standards 10 Mizanur Rahman chair of the National Human Rights Commission has said the trials do adhere to international law as the national standards are in compliance with international standards 116 Sam Zarifi of the International Commission of Jurists expressed concern that the flawed nature of trials conducted at the ICT could deepen the divisions in Bangladeshi society which resulted from the war of 1971 rather than heal them 117 The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has said that the arbitrary detention of the suspects and refusal by the government to grant bail to them violates Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Shafique Ahmed has responded It is not right to think that the accused are being detained without any reason There are no violations of human rights in the ongoing trial of crimes against humanity and questions of human rights violation are being raised simply to create confusion 118 Some human rights advocates are concerned that the mass rapes and killings of women may not be fully addressed in the prosecutions 119 Irene Khan a Bangladeshi human rights activist has described the government s response to abuses against women in the liberation war as the following A conservative Muslim society has preferred to throw a veil of negligence and denial on the issue allowed those who committed or colluded with gender violence to thrive and left the women victims to struggle in anonymity and shame and without much state or community support 119 The Bangladeshi government has dismissed criticisms of the legal provisions and fairness of the tribunal Shafique Ahmed the Minister of Law and Justice said There is no scope for questioning the fairness and standard of the ongoing trial for war crimes during the Liberation War in 1971 120 References Edit Wierda Marieke Anthony Triolo 31 May 2012 Luc Reydams Jan Wouters Cedric Ryngaert eds International Prosecutors Oxford University Press p 169 ISBN 978 0 19 955429 4 Kibria Nazli 2011 Muslims in Motion Islam and National Identity in the Bangladeshi Diaspora Rutgers University Press p 19 ISBN 978 0 8135 5056 5 The landslide victory of the Awami League in the 2008 election included a manifesto pledge to prosecute the war criminals of 1971 Rahman Syedur Craig Baxter 2010 Historical dictionary of Bangladesh 4th ed Rowman amp Littlefield p 289 ISBN 978 0 8108 6766 6 Montero David 14 July 2010 Bangladesh arrests are opening act of war crimes tribunal Christian Science Monitor a b D Costa Bina 1 November 2011 Nationbuilding Gender and War Crimes in South Asia Routledge p 144 ISBN 978 0 415 56566 0 Shams Shamil 18 February 2013 Will ban on Islamic party heal wounds Deutsche Welle Retrieved 28 February 2012 Politics and the past in Bangladesh Dialling down The Economist 30 October 2014 Retrieved 25 November 2014 a b c Haq M Zahurul 5 August 2011 Correspondents Reports Bangladesh Case Against Delwar Hossain Sayedee In Schmitt M N Arimatsu Louise McCormack T eds Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law 2010 1st ed Springer p 463 ISBN 978 90 6704 811 8 UN to help Bangladesh war crimes trial planning DAWN 24 April 2009 Retrieved 4 July 2015 a b Ullah Ansar Ahmed 3 February 2012 Vote of trust for war trial The Daily Star Chowdhury Shamim 29 October 2014 The politics at play in Bangladesh war trials Al Jazeera Retrieved 4 July 2015 Human Rights Watch and the International Bar Association are just two of a number of bodies that have formally criticised the ICT for being incompatible with international standards on matters of transparency and fairness and for not following due process a b Adams Brad 18 May 2011 Letter to the Bangladesh Prime Minister regarding the International Crimes Tribunals Act Human Rights Watch a b Adams Brad 2 November 2011 Bangladesh Stop Harassment of Defense at War Tribunal Thomson Reuters Foundation Archived from the original on 15 April 2013 a b Karim Bianca Tirza Theunissen 29 September 2011 Dinah Shelton ed International Law and Domestic Legal Systems Incorporation Transformation and Persuasion Oxford University Press p 114 ISBN 978 0 19 969490 7 a b Jamaat Shibir go berserk The Daily Star 13 November 2012 Retrieved 26 January 2013 a b Jamaat Shibir men run amok New Age 14 November 2012 Archived from the original on 27 September 2013 Retrieved 26 January 2013 a b Jamaat desperately on the offensive The Daily Sun Archived from the original on 15 May 2013 Retrieved 26 January 2013 a b c d Bangladesh s warcrimes trials Final sentence The Economist 17 September 2013 Retrieved 17 April 2015 D Costa Bina 1 November 2010 Nationbuilding Gender and War Crimes in South Asia Routledge p 76 ISBN 978 0 415 56566 0 Simms Brendan 2011 Brendan Simms D J B Trim eds Humanitarian Intervention A History Cambridge University Press p 17 ISBN 978 0 521 19027 5 Trim D J B 12 May 2011 Hew Strachan Sibylle Scheipers eds The Changing Character of War Oxford University Press p 159 ISBN 978 0 19 959673 7 Saikia Yasmin 2011 Elizabeth D Heineman ed Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones From the Ancient World to the Era of Human Rights University of Pennsylvania Press p 157 ISBN 978 0 8122 4318 5 Riedel Bruce O 2011 Deadly embrace Pakistan America and the future of the global jihad Brookings Institution p 10 ISBN 978 0 8157 0557 4 Sharlach Lisa 2002 State Rape Sexual Violence as Genocide In Kent Worcester Sally A Bermanzohn Mark Ungar eds Violence and Politics Globalization s Paradox Routledge p 111 ISBN 978 0 415 93111 3 D Costa Bina 1 November 2010 Nationbuilding Gender and War Crimes in South Asia Routledge p 132 ISBN 978 0 415 56566 0 a b Totten Samuel Paul Robert Bartrop Steven L Jacobs Dictionary of Genocide A L Vol 1 Greenwood p 34 ISBN 978 0 313 32967 8 Alffram Henrik 2009 Ignoring Executions and Torture Impunity for Bangladesh s Security Forces Human Rights Watch p 12 ISBN 1 56432 483 4 a b Manik Julfikar Ali Tusher Hasan Jahid 26 March 2010 Stage set for war trial The Daily Star No against war criminals won The Daily Prothom Alo 31 December 2008 collected from ICSF Media Archive Plead not to cast vote for traitors and war criminals The Daily Prothom Alo 27 December 2008 a b A historic landslide for Hasina bdnews24 com Dhaka 30 December 2008 Retrieved 19 September 2010 Alam Julhas 21 December 2011 Bangladesh wrestles with trials from 71 war The Guardian Awami League wins Bangladesh election CNN 30 December 2008 Archived from the original on 5 March 2015 Retrieved 19 September 2010 JS passes proposal to try war criminals The Daily Star 30 January 2009 Advocate Zead Al Malum s Speech before South Asian Committee of EU Parliament Archived 28 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine Meeting on Bangladesh Exchange of Views on War Crimes Trials and on Accountability Issues 31 January 2012 Quote The law provided the substantive law definition of crimes procedures to follow provisions of evidence constitution of the Tribunal obligation of the Judges to be independent and to ensure fair trial standards including the rights of the accused rules to monitor investigations and interrogations supervising arrest and viability of continued detention rules to protect the witnesses and victims rules regarding appeal after conviction and the rule making authority of the judges etc War criminal trial under int l crime act The Daily Star 26 March 2009 a b Opinion of the Law Commission on the technical aspects of the International Crimes Tribunals Act 1973 Act No XIX of 1973 PDF Law Commission Bangladesh Retrieved 19 September 2010 Int l law on war crimes trial being updated Shafiq bdnews24 com Dhaka 21 May 2009 Retrieved 19 September 2010 a b Law amended for war crime trials The Daily Star 10 July 2009 Amir Ul Islam M 2012 Morten Bergsmo Cheah Wui Ling eds Old Evidence and Core International Crimes Torkel Opsahl p 254 ISBN 978 82 93081 60 9 Prosecutor begins statement against SQ Chy bdnews24 com 3 May 2012 We will wait watch Jamaat on war crimes trial Thaindian News IANS 26 March 2010 a b War Crimes Tribunal constituted prosecutors investigation agency named UNBconnect 25 March 2010 Archived from the original on 5 April 2012 Retrieved 25 November 2011 a b c Bangladesh court gives death penalty to 1971 war criminal IBN Live 21 January 2013 Archived from the original on 24 January 2013 Retrieved 23 January 2013 a b c Jamaat Shibir men run amok New Age 14 November 2012 Archived from the original on 27 September 2013 Retrieved 20 January 2013 Quadir Serajul 21 January 2013 Islamic cleric sentenced to death for Bangladesh war crimes Reuters Ahmed Tanim Golam Mujtaba 21 January 2013 ICT s death penalty for Bachchu Razakar bdnews24 com Azad to be hanged for war crimes The Daily Star 21 January 2012 BANGLADESH UNITED NATIONS EXPERTS WARN THAT JUSTICE FOR THE PAST REQUIRES FAIR TRIALS United Nations Office at Geneva 7 February 2013 UK Germany France support war crimes trial The Daily Star 22 January 2013 Nuland Victoria 22 January 2013 Conviction and Death Sentence at Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal US State Department Bangladesh jails Islamic party leader for life The Guardian Associated Press 5 February 2013 Retrieved 6 February 2013 Bangladesh Islamist sentenced to life in prison for war crimes Yahoo News 5 February 2013 Archived from the original on 8 February 2013 Retrieved 6 February 2013 Hensher Philip 19 February 2013 The war Bangladesh can never forget The Independent London Retrieved 28 October 2013 But critics of the so called Butcher of Mirpur who was convicted of sic beheading a poet raping an 11 year old girl and shooting 344 people have been left fuming over the sentence and are calling for him to face the death sentence like fellow accused Abul Kalam Azad Alam Julhas 8 February 2013 Bangladesh Protest Calls for Death for War Crime ABC Mustafa Sabir 8 February 2013 Huge Bangladesh rally seeks death penalty for war crimes BBC Thousands join Shahbagh sit in 7 February 2013 Retrieved 7 February 2013 People burst into protests 7 February 2013 Archived from the original on 13 April 2014 Retrieved 7 February 2013 a b Bangladesh executes opposition leader Al Jazeera 12 December 2013 Retrieved 12 December 2013 Bangladesh execution sparks violent protests Al Jazeera 13 December 2013 Abdul Quader Mollah buried Bangladesh clashes kill 4 injure dozens UPI 13 December 2013 Bangladesh Jamaat leader sentenced to death Al Jazeera 28 February 2013 Retrieved 28 February 2013 a b c Adams Brad 16 January 2013 Bangladesh Find Abducted Witness Thomson Reuters Foundation Manik Julfikar Ali Yardley Jim 1 March 2013 Death Toll From Bangladesh Unrest Reaches 44 The New York Times Retrieved 1 March 2013 Devnath Arun MacAskill Andrew 1 March 2013 Clashes Kill 35 in Bangladesh After Islamist Sentenced to Hang Bloomberg Retrieved 1 March 2013 Naim Ul Karim 2 March 2013 4 dead hundreds injured as riots continue in Bangladesh Xinhua Archived from the original on 7 March 2013 Retrieved 2 March 2013 Bangladesh deaths rise as Jamaat protest strike begins BBC News 3 March 2013 Retrieved 3 March 2013 Top Jamaat leader Sayedee to be in prison until death The Hindu 17 September 2014 Retrieved 19 September 2014 Kamaruzzaman verdict any day bdnews24 com 16 April 2013 Hossain Farid 9 May 2013 Backlash feared as Bangladesh sentences Islamic politician Muhammad Kamaruzzaman to death The Independent Jamaat e Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman hanged by Bangladesh for 1971 war crimes Jagran Josh 13 April 2015 Khalidi Toufique Imrose 15 July 2013 90 years for Jamaat guru Ghulam Azam bdnews24 com Ghulam Azam dies bdnews24 com October 2014 Retrieved 23 October 2014 Top Islamist Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed gets death for war crimes in Bangladesh DNA Mumbai 17 July 2013 Please spare his life SQ Chy s family urges President The Financial Express Dhaka 6 July 2007 Retrieved 20 April 2011 Bangladesh MP Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury to hang for war crimes BBC News 1 October 2013 Retrieved 1 October 2013 Bartrop Paul R July 2012 A Biographical Encyclopedia of Contemporary Genocide ABC CLIO p 374 ISBN 978 0 313 38678 7 Tribunal Hand over Yusuf s body as per law Dhaka Tribune 9 February 2014 War crimes accused Yusuf dies The Daily Star 9 February 2014 Bangladesh Islamist leader Motiur Rahman Nizami sentenced to death BBC News 29 October 2014 Bangladesh Hangs Another Islamist Leader The Diplomat 15 May 2016 Bangladesh Jamaat leader given death sentence Al Jazeera 2 November 2014 Retrieved 2 November 2014 Bangladesh executes Islamist tycoon Mir Quasem Ali for 1971 war crimes International Business Times 4 September 2016 Asif Nazrul warned to shun talk show or be killed 27 December 2013 Archived from the original on 27 December 2013 Retrieved 20 March 2022 a b Staff Correspondent UN concerned over way of handling Nizami s case Prothomalo Retrieved 9 August 2021 Bangladesh Government Backtracks on Rights Retrieved 1 February 2013 a b UN rights office expresses concern about death sentences in Bangladesh UN News 8 April 2016 Retrieved 9 August 2021 Ghafour Abdul 31 October 2012 International community urged to stop summary executions in Bangladesh Arab News Bergman David 16 May 2013 Witness alleges state abduction New Age Justice in Bangladesh Another kind of crime The Economist 23 March 2013 Retrieved 18 April 2013 Discrepancy in Dhaka The Economist 8 December 2012 Ethirajan Anbarasan 11 December 2012 Bangladesh war crimes judge Nizamul Huq resigns BBC News a b c Wright Tom 20 December 2012 Bangladesh War Crime Tribunal Bogs Down The Wall Street Journal a b Bangladesh Retrial Needed in Sayedee Case Human Rights Watch Retrieved 13 December 2012 Judge s Skype conversation recorded to foil trial The Daily Star 14 December 2012 PM Don t be puzzled trial will end bdnews24 com 14 December 2012 Justice Kabir made ICT 1 chief Daily Star 13 December 2012 Retrieved 23 February 2013 Al Mahmood Syed Zain 14 December 2012 Bangladesh War Crimes Tribunal Faces Turmoil The Wall Street Journal AI expresses concern over journos harassment The Daily Star 9 January 2013 Jama at appoints lobbyists to foil war crimes trial Shafique The Financial Express Dhaka 30 September 2012 HR boss critical of western countries role The Daily Star 18 January 2012 Sorry only for US embassy vehicle The Daily Star 5 December 2012 Retrieved 26 January 2013 Violences mark hartal The New Nation 26 January 2013 Retrieved 26 January 2013 Jamaat attacks cops in Jessore The Daily Star 4 January 2013 Retrieved 26 January 2013 Six cops injured in Jamaat attack at Pirojpur New Age 8 December 2012 ন জ ম র ম ত য দণ ড ক র যকর ব ল দ শ র ব র ট ভ ল BBC News ব ল in Bengali 18 May 2016 Retrieved 9 August 2021 ট র ইব য ন ল র কড সম ল চন অ য মন স ট র BBC News ব ল in Bengali 24 May 2012 Retrieved 9 August 2021 Huskey Kristine A The International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh Will Justice Prevail Crimes of War Allchin Joseph 21 December 2012 The Midlife Crisis of Bangladesh Foreign Policy Anti ICT remark will draw action bdnews24 com 17 February 2012 ICT recommends action against Sayedee s UK lawyers The Daily Star 14 November 2011 War crimes act 2009 falls short of int l standard The Daily Star 14 October 2010 Ahmed Tanim 14 November 2011 3 UK lawyers face Bangladesh court ire bdnews24 com Zaman Khurram 28 December 2012 Ghulam Azam s clemency sought Tension arises with Turkey Bangla News 24 Motion for a resolution on the situation in Bangladesh B7 0144 2013 www europarl europa eu Retrieved 5 November 2019 Int l Crimes Tribunal fair The Daily Star 17 January 2012 Syed Zain Al Mahmood 5 September 2013 Bangladesh War Crimes Court Sentences Islamist Leader to Life The Wall Street Journal Detention of accused unlawful The Daily Star 16 February 2012 a b Roy Nilanjana S 24 August 2010 Bangladesh War s Toll on Women Still Undiscussed The New York Times Shafique terms ICT act world s best law The Daily Star 29 September 2012 External links EditHomepage http www ict bd org judgments ICT1 fkdldllxICT2 THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMES TRIBUNALS ACT 1973 Act No XIX OF 1973 Bangladesh Laws website Opinion of the Law Commission on the technical aspects of the International Crimes Tribunals Act 1973 Act No XIX of 1973 PDF Law Commission of Bangladesh Bangladesh Genocide Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w 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