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The newly appointed Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), Md Tajul Islam, has said that necessary steps would be taken to bring former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina back to stand trial on charges of mass killings during the Anti-Discrimination Students' Movement.
He said, "We will file an application with the ICT, when it resumes functions, to issue arrest warrant against all the absconding accused including Sheikh Hasina in connection with the cases filed for mass killing and crimes against humanity.
Sheikh Hasina has been made main accused in most of the cases filed with the ICT. We will start legal process to bring her back to the country to face the justice. Bangladesh has extradition treaty with India. Sheikh Hasina government signed the treaty in 2013."
He said this in a press briefing held on Sunday, after joining his new work station.
Earlier on the day, he took the charge of the Chief Prosecutor at the International Crimes Tribunal office.
Tajul Islam served as a lawyer of Jamaat leaders after the formation of the ICT in 2010 for the trial of genocide and crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971. After the political change following the recent student movement, Tajul is now the Chief Prosecutor of the same ICT.
Law Ministry on September 5 this year issued a notification appointing him as the Chief Prosecutor of the ICT giving the status of Attorney General.
Apart from this, four other Supreme Court lawyers were also appointed as prosecutors of the ICT by the same notification.
In response to a question, he mentioned that a decision on amending the existing International Crimes Tribunal Act for the trial of new cases filed with the ICT will be made after consulting with the government.
He added, "Collecting information, documents, and evidence against the accused individuals from across the country and compiling, examining, and presenting them properly before the tribunal are very challenging and significant tasks."
Tajul Islam stated that the ICT and its investigation team will need to be reconstituted by appointing new judges and investigators, as the previous judges, prosecution team, and investigation agency appointed by the previous government have stepped down after the interim government was formed in the country following the fall of the Hasina-led government.