In a significant move to ensure justice for victims of the July uprising, the government has formed a seven-member committee to accelerate the prosecution of crimes — including murder — committed to suppress last year’s nationwide student-led mass movement.
The committee has been formed with the initiative taken by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.
The committee will work to streamline and expedite the trial processes of related cases, excluding those already pending before the International Crimes Tribunal.
According to an official statement, the committee will be headed by the additional secretary of the Law and Justice Division.
Other members include a representative from the Ministry of Home Affairs (not below the rank of joint secretary), a representative from the Bangladesh Police (not below the rank of deputy inspector general), a member of a martyr’s family nominated by the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation, a human rights activist nominated by the Law Ministry, a lawyer nominated by the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation, and the deputy solicitor of the GP-PP Branch of the Law and Justice Division, who will serve as the member-secretary of the committee.
The committee will begin by compiling a comprehensive list of cases filed in connection with murder and other serious offences committed during the July Uprising, along with their current status.
It will also review the cases in which charge sheets have already been submitted and identify any obstacles hindering the prosecution process.
In addition, the committee will keep the victims’ families and the general public informed of the progress of its activities and will recommend necessary steps to ensure the safety of victims and witnesses involved in the cases.
Officials have said that the trial of a murder case currently being handled by the International Crimes Tribunal is proceeding smoothly.
The government now hopes that, through the effective efforts of the newly formed committee, the trials of other serious crimes committed during the July Uprising will also be conducted efficiently and transparently in conventional criminal courts.
