All cases filed after 5 August will be reviewed: Chief Prosecutor

Bangla Press Desk: Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), Md Aminul Islam, has said that all cases filed across the country following the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August 2024 will be reviewed.

He made the remarks while speaking to journalists at his office in the ICT.

The chief prosecutor said many of the cases filed nationwide involve 400 to 500 accused individuals, but not all of them are necessarily guilty. “We believe that while some are criminals, many innocent people have also been implicated. In some instances, the real offenders are being let off, while innocent people are being imprisoned,” he said.

Aminul Islam added that he has instructed the tribunal’s investigating agency to collect information on all such cases filed after the anti-discrimination movement. Copies of 500 to 700 cases have already been submitted to him, and he expects to receive the remaining files from across the country within the next few days. A dedicated team will review each case thoroughly.

He stressed that steps would be taken to ensure that no guilty person escapes justice and no innocent individual is wrongfully detained. He also warned against the misuse of cases for harassment or profit, stating that legal action would be recommended against those found filing false cases.

Crossfire Cases Under Scrutiny

Responding to a question about numerous alleged crossfire incidents, the chief prosecutor said such incidents followed a “common pattern” across the country and were carried out systematically by the former government.

He alleged that law enforcement agencies were used to target individuals who disagreed with the government or local leaders, and that victims were killed in so-called crossfire incidents before fabricated accounts were presented to the public.

“These incidents constitute systematic crimes and widespread attacks, which fall under crimes against humanity,” he said.

Aminul Islam confirmed that the tribunal has already directed its investigation agency to collect documents related to all crossfire cases nationwide. These cases will be reviewed, and a committee will be formed to assess which cases fall under the tribunal’s jurisdiction for trial.