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Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the interim government to amend the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Act to ensure a fair and impartial judicial process, following the issuance of an arrest warrant against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
In a statement released yesterday, the global rights body revealed that it had sent a letter to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs on Monday, pressing for necessary reforms to the ICT Act.
On October 17, the International Crimes Tribunal issued arrest warrants for Sheikh Hasina and 44 others, including senior members of her cabinet.
HRW’s senior Asia researcher, Julia Bleckner, said, “Sheikh Hasina and other responsible figures must be investigated, tried, and held accountable if found guilty of the abuses committed during the July and August protests.”
She also said that ensuring fair trials would strengthen the accountability process and deliver justice to victims.
HRW has long been critical of the ICT, established during Hasina’s government in 2010 to prosecute crimes committed during the 1971 Liberation War. The watchdog has pointed out various shortcomings, including biased judges, inadequate evidence collection, collusion between prosecutors and judges, witness tampering, and denial of proper defence rights. HRW also cited concerns over forced disappearances and the use of the death penalty.
In its statement, HRW stressed that while the interim government has moved to amend the ICT Act, further revisions are essential to ensure that trials meet international standards and uphold the rights guaranteed under the Bangladesh Constitution. The organisation urged the government to impose a moratorium on the death penalty and work towards its abolition, aligning with international human rights principles.
HRW reiterated that fair trials must uphold the presumption of innocence, the right to a fair trial before an independent court, and the right to challenge evidence.
“Without a commitment to these international standards, the justice process risks being undermined,” Bleckner warned.