COURT ORDER TO RELOCATE ICT

Law ministry urges SC to reconsider order

The law ministry yesterday urged the Supreme Court to reconsider its directive issued for the shifting of International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) from the old High Court (HC) building.
The High Court Division of the Supreme Court issued the letter on December 4 asking the law ministry to relocate the ICT from the old High Court building by December 31. In response to the letter, the law ministry issued a letter yesterday and made the call to the apex court to reconsider its earlier order and cited reasons explaining why the ICT shouldn’t be shifted from the old HC building. The letter, signed by Kazi Mushfque Mahbub Robin, Senior Assistant Secretary to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, said, “The old High Court building is a historical establishment of Bangladesh with a long history. The government in 2009 decided to use it to host the ICT as it didn’t find a better and secured location to host the tribunals.” “Up until 2009, part of the building had been used as the office of the Judicial Service Commission and Law Commission. After that, necessary renovations were made to host the ICT there. The rich history of the building which once was the official residence of the Governor of East Bengal and Assam has been further enriched through hosting the historic events like the war crimes trial,” the letter added. Under the circumstances, the letter added, “If the ICT is relocated from the Old High Court Building, anger will feature in the minds of the people and its relocation will create obstacles to the continuation of proper development.”
In this situation, the people of Bangladesh want the trial to continue at the old HC building, the letter said.  “If the trial of war criminals are stopped and the possession of the Old High Court Building is handed over to the Supreme Court, that will not be universally acceptable and the Bangladesh Supreme Court will become questionable to the countrymen,” the law ministry said in the letter.

 

COURT ORDER TO RELOCATE ICT

Law ministry urges SC to reconsider order

The law ministry yesterday urged the Supreme Court to reconsider its directive issued for the shifting of International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) from the old High Court (HC) building. The High Court Division of the Supreme Court issued the letter on December 4 asking the law ministry to relocate the ICT from the old High Court building by December 31. In response to the letter, the law ministry issued a letter yesterday and made the call to the apex court to reconsider its earlier order and cited reasons explaining why the ICT shouldnt be shifted from the old HC building. The letter, signed by Kazi Mushfque Mahbub Robin, Senior Assistant Secretary to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, said, The old High Court building is a historical establishment of Bangladesh with a long history. The government in 2009 decided to use it to host the ICT as it didnt find a better and secured location to host the tribunals. Up until 2009, part of the building had been used as the office of the Judicial Service Commission and Law Commission. After that, necessary renovations were made to host the ICT there. The rich history of the building which once was the official residence of the Governor of East Bengal and Assam has been further enriched through hosting the historic events like the war crimes trial, the letter added. Under the circumstances, the letter added, If the ICT is relocated from the Old High Court Building, anger will feature in the minds of the people and its relocation will create obstacles to the continuation of proper development. In this situation, the people of Bangladesh want the trial to continue at the old HC building, the letter said. If the trial of war criminals are stopped and the possession of the Old High Court Building is handed over to the Supreme Court, that will not be universally acceptable and the Bangladesh Supreme Court will become questionable to the countrymen, the law ministry said in the letter.