Bangladesh National Human Rights Commission for setting up new war crimes tribunal

Dhaka, June 9 (ANI): Bangladesh National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has demanded setting up of a new war crimes tribunal to expedite the prosecution process of war criminals.

In an interview with the Asian New International (ANI) here on Saturday, NHRC Chairman Mizanur Rahman expressed discontentment with the pace of the trials, saying that once identified, the accused should be punished within the tenure of the present government.

" I would prefer that at least with regard to those individuals, who have been identified as accused, we can see the conclusion of the trial process. I would suggest and recommend to the government that another tribunal be set up. We have now ICT1, ICT2 and I would prefer that there is ICT3, so that simultaneously in three different tribunals, three different benches the trial can continue and that would expedite the whole process," Rahman said.

War crimes tribunal, which was set up last year, requires wrapping up investigations of the accused, as the government aims to finish their trials before Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's five-year term, that began in 2009, ends.

Rahman said that the court was maintaining high standards and was far above the international standards of other tribunals, adding that the doubts raised over the same are "baseless, distorted, fabricated and probably with some sort of malice."

"The International Crimes Tribunal not only maintains the minimum international standard, but the standards which is maintained here is far above the standards which is so far maintained in different international tribunals which prosecuted the war crimes," he said. ANI)