Has the International Crimes Tribunal Bangladesh (ICT-BD) assisted to Reconcile Society?

After the Liberation War between East Pakistan and West Pakistan in 1971, Bangladesh, a newly formed country, implemented the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act in 1973 to punish the suspects. However, not until 2009 did the Bangladeshi government revive the idea of trials, declaring its intentio...

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Main Author: Rahman Md Mustakimur
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Danubius University 2023-09-01
Series:Acta Universitatis Danubius: Juridica
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.dj.univ-danubius.ro/index.php/AUDJ/article/view/2379
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author Rahman Md Mustakimur
author_facet Rahman Md Mustakimur
author_sort Rahman Md Mustakimur
collection DOAJ
description After the Liberation War between East Pakistan and West Pakistan in 1971, Bangladesh, a newly formed country, implemented the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act in 1973 to punish the suspects. However, not until 2009 did the Bangladeshi government revive the idea of trials, declaring its intention to prosecute the suspects of the atrocities. By appointing judges, investigators, and prosecutors, the Tribunal was subsequently established in 2010. Despite the government’s claim that the Tribunal established by the 1973 Act operates freely and independently, this paper investigates some crucial provisions of the 1973 Act that negatively impact the entire judicial process of criminalizing and punishing suspects. Furthermore, it analyses the activities of the Tribunal based on international practices. It examines some judgments and contends that while the Bangladeshi government’s efforts to bring the suspects to justice are commended, the domestic Tribunal fell short of ensuring fair trial rights for the accused and justice for society. It further contends that rather than uniting society, the Tribunal splintered it. The study continues by noting that combining a hybrid tribunal and a Truth Commission could have helped unite the community and ensure justice.
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spelling doaj.art-745bec66050e421e83f36b7dcee99cd42023-09-28T03:59:52ZengDanubius UniversityActa Universitatis Danubius: Juridica1844-80622065-38912023-09-01192Has the International Crimes Tribunal Bangladesh (ICT-BD) assisted to Reconcile Society?Rahman Md Mustakimur0The Chinese University of Hong Kong After the Liberation War between East Pakistan and West Pakistan in 1971, Bangladesh, a newly formed country, implemented the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act in 1973 to punish the suspects. However, not until 2009 did the Bangladeshi government revive the idea of trials, declaring its intention to prosecute the suspects of the atrocities. By appointing judges, investigators, and prosecutors, the Tribunal was subsequently established in 2010. Despite the government’s claim that the Tribunal established by the 1973 Act operates freely and independently, this paper investigates some crucial provisions of the 1973 Act that negatively impact the entire judicial process of criminalizing and punishing suspects. Furthermore, it analyses the activities of the Tribunal based on international practices. It examines some judgments and contends that while the Bangladeshi government’s efforts to bring the suspects to justice are commended, the domestic Tribunal fell short of ensuring fair trial rights for the accused and justice for society. It further contends that rather than uniting society, the Tribunal splintered it. The study continues by noting that combining a hybrid tribunal and a Truth Commission could have helped unite the community and ensure justice. https://www.dj.univ-danubius.ro/index.php/AUDJ/article/view/2379International Criminal LawInternational Criminal JusticeInternational Crimes Tribunal
spellingShingle Rahman Md Mustakimur
Has the International Crimes Tribunal Bangladesh (ICT-BD) assisted to Reconcile Society?
Acta Universitatis Danubius: Juridica
International Criminal Law
International Criminal Justice
International Crimes Tribunal
title Has the International Crimes Tribunal Bangladesh (ICT-BD) assisted to Reconcile Society?
title_full Has the International Crimes Tribunal Bangladesh (ICT-BD) assisted to Reconcile Society?
title_fullStr Has the International Crimes Tribunal Bangladesh (ICT-BD) assisted to Reconcile Society?
title_full_unstemmed Has the International Crimes Tribunal Bangladesh (ICT-BD) assisted to Reconcile Society?
title_short Has the International Crimes Tribunal Bangladesh (ICT-BD) assisted to Reconcile Society?
title_sort has the international crimes tribunal bangladesh ict bd assisted to reconcile society
topic International Criminal Law
International Criminal Justice
International Crimes Tribunal
url https://www.dj.univ-danubius.ro/index.php/AUDJ/article/view/2379
work_keys_str_mv AT rahmanmdmustakimur hastheinternationalcrimestribunalbangladeshictbdassistedtoreconcilesociety