The International Crimes Tribunal–1 is set to deliver its verdict today, Monday, in a case involving crimes against humanity committed during the July mass uprising. This is the first judgment among the cases linked to the uprising that will be handed down by the tribunal.
The three-member bench, headed by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumdar and joined by Justice Md. Shafiul Alam Mahmud and Judge Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury, will announce the verdict in the morning. The tribunal has also prepared to broadcast the proceedings live.
The primary accused in the case is the ousted former leader Sheikh Hasina; the two other accused are former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun. Hasina and Asaduzzaman are currently in India and have been declared fugitives. Another accused and prosecution witness, former IGP Chowdhury Mamun, has already been produced before the tribunal.
Under the law, convicted defendants may appeal within 30 days after arrest. The prosecution may also file for review within this period. But for fugitives, the rule is categorical: they cannot appeal unless arrested. Prosecutor Gazi Monowar Hossain Tamim explained, “No fugitive accused can seek an appeal in the Appellate Division while remaining at large.”
Asked whether the chief accused, being a woman, might receive any special legal privilege, the prosecutor said that no such provision exists in sentencing. While considerations for women, minors, and the ill may apply in bail matters under the CrPC, the tribunal law provides no gender-based advantage in verdicts. Sentencing will depend solely on the gravity of the crime; acquittal or conviction will be determined strictly by the evidence.