Bangladesh’s new crime tribunal chief prosecutor promises probe into alleged irregularities

Dhaka, Feb 24 (PTI) Investigation would be held in the alleged irregularities in the prosecution process of Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal that last year sentenced to death deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, its new chief prosecutor Amirul Islam said Tuesday.

Amirul Islam's announcement came a day after Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s new government relieved his predecessor Tajul Islam, who was appointed by the Interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.

Hasina, 78, fled to India in August 2024 after her Awami League government was toppled in a violent student-led street protest and continues to stay there. After a trial in absential, she was sentenced to death by the ICT-BD in November 2025 on charges of crimes against humanity to tame the protesters.

The new chief of the Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) was speaking with reporters after assuming the charge when he took note of the allegations in connection with Hasina's sentence: “If errors or negligence are found and legal provisions allow, necessary steps will be taken.” The new chief prosecutor said it would be verified as well if investigations into the July killing cases were conducted properly and “strict actions will be taken if any prosecutor is found to be involved in irregularities.” Local media reports, largely based on a social media post of ICT-BD prosecutor BM Sultan Mahmud on Monday, alleged that the just-relieved chief prosecutor and a fellow prosecutor of serious corruption, financial irregularities, and forming a “syndicate” to turn the tribunal into a money-making tool.

Mahmud claimed that a key accused in the case against Hasina, former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, was made an ‘approver’ or state-witness to testify against the deposed premier in exchange for money.

Hasina and then home minister in her cabinet were handed down the death penalty while Chowdhury was sentenced to a five-year prison term in the trial process that was completed in four months starting from August 2025.

Earlier too, several legal experts had expressed concerns about the trial’s fairness claiming it was carried out in haste without exhausting the due legal process and also that the witnesses' statements and the evidence produced were not corroborated as required.

The ICT-BD was originally formed by Hasina’s government to try the hardened collaborators of Pakistani troops during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War.

The Yunus’ regime had changed ICT-BD’s mandate amending the relevant law through an ordinance.

Hasina and her party rejected the verdict calling the trial a “vendetta” and the tribunal a “kangaroo court.” PTI AR NPK NPK