Law
week
First task to scan records
The investigation agency of International Crimes Tribunal will use all sorts of historical records, documents and literature available at home and abroad to try alleged war criminals of 1971. After obtaining information and evidence about a person for filing a case in the tribunal, the investigators will start field investigation for more evidence. "Our first task would be to go through all archived print and video materials at home and abroad," chief investigator of the seven-member investigation agency Abdul Matin said. It was his first working day at the tribunal's office. -The Daily Star, March 29, 2010.
Judge recruitment, role of courts to be watched
Awami League is looking to find why its panel in the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) election suffered a defeat while the opposition thinks it is the beginning of people's no-confidence in the government. Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, pro-BNP lawyer and newly elected SCBA president, said they would not use the association as a tool to gain political mileage. SCBA, however, will play its role in upholding the independence of the judiciary and protecting human rights, he added. -The Daily Star, March 29, 2010.
Travel alert for war criminals
The government has placed law enforcement and intelligence agencies on alert to prevent alleged war criminals from fleeing Bangladesh ahead of the upcoming war crimes trials. The alert came as alleged war criminal and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Kashem Ali went to Saudi Arabia on March 24, 2010 using Hazrat Sahjalal International Airport. Sources said Law Minister Shafique Ahmed and Home Minister Sahara Khatun expressed their disappointment over the incident and directed authorities to investigate the matter. -The Daily Star, March 29, 2010.
War tribunal to get rolling
The war crimes tribunal will start working from March 29, 2010 at the old High Court building, Law Minister Shafique Ahmed said. The trial of war criminals is not related with politics and no one would be harassed for political purpose, he told reporters after attending a workshop at IDB Bhaban. The minister said those who committed crimes, assisted criminals and took part in the genocide during the Liberation War would be tried under the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973. "The government will ensure international standard in holding the trial," he observed. - The Daily Star, March 28, 2010.
US offers legal argument for drone strikes
The US government for the first time has offered a legal justification of its drone strikes against al-Qaeda and Taliban militants, citing the right to "self-defence" under international law. The CIA attacks by unmanned aircraft in Pakistan, Somalia and elsewhere have sharply increased under President Barack Obama's administration but have remained shrouded in secrecy, with some human rights groups charging the bombing raids amount to illegal assassinations. Broaching a subject that has been off-limits for official comment, State Department legal advisor Harold Koh laid out the legal argument for the strikes in a speech, referring to "targeting" of al-Qaeda and Taliban figures without mentioning Pakistan or where the raids are carried out. - The Daily Star, March 28, 2010.
Interpol to launch campaign to net 73 fugitive Bangladeshis
Interpol is set to launch a simultaneous campaign in 188 countries from May this year to net 73 fugitive Bangladeshis including the six absconding 1975 killers under a drive called Operation Infra Red, 2010. The six absconding killers are lieutenant colonels Khandaker Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haque Dalim, AM Rashed Chowdhury, HBM Noor Chowdhury, captain Abdul Majed and risaldar Moslehuddin. Officials said the planned campaign was finalised at the end of the three-day sixth annual conference of the Heads of National Central Bureaus (NBC's) of the Interpol at its headquarters in France earlier this month. "The government will formally request the concerned countries to extradite the fugitives once they are tracked down under the Interpol operation," said Additional Inspector General of Police and head of Bangladesh NCB Nabo Bikram Kishore Tripura. Tripura, who led a three-member police delegation to the conference, said the police forces of the Interpol member countries would launch the drive to track down several thousand of wanted criminals while "every member countries provided a special list of their 'top 20' or most wanted fugitives". He said of the apart from the six convicted Bangabandhu killers, others were gangsters or absconding convicts.-BSS, Dhaka, 31 March 2010.
Evidence collection begins
The investigation agency formed for trying war crimes yesterday visited the Liberation War Museum at the city's Segunbagicha and collected 10 books, booklets and two CDs on war crimes committed during Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971. Led by chief investigator Abdul Matin, a team of the agency talked with Mofidul Hoque, member secretary and a trustee of the museum, and sought cooperation in collecting documents on the perpetrators of war crimes. The investigation team went through different newspapers, paper cuttings and other documents related to the Liberation War. -The Daily Star, 31 March 2010.
Century-old courtroom gets facelift
The 105-year-old High Court building, which witnessed many historic events, is suddenly going through phases of quick maintenance, as the landmark trial of alleged war criminals would put a huge load on the place.
The state minister for housing and public works directed the PWD to examine all necessary things of the building for security and other matters.
The main tribunal room, which is only 18.36 metres in length and 16.7 metres in width, with a floor of polished teak planks, is sure to attract a huge crowd including judges, prosecutors, investigators, officials concerned, law enforcers, local and international journalists and obviously the alleged war criminals. State Minister Abdul Mannan Khan himself visited the courtroom and other adjacent places on Sunday and ordered officials to ensure proper maintenance before the trial starts. "We are taking extra precautionary measures. I have directed the PWD officials to take measures so that the wooden floor may carry extra load," said the state minister.-The Daily Star, 31 March 2010.
Corresponding with the Law Desk
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