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International Crimes Tribunal prosecutor Barrister SM Moinul Karim said the prosecution was working round the clock with an effort to begin the trial of Abu Sayed murder case at the quickest possible time.

‘Those will be accepted as defendants whose names come in the investigation into the Abu Sayed murder case. It doesn’t matter whether ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s name comes up or not,’ he said.

The ICT prosecutor made this statement while talking to journalists on Monday after visiting the spot where Abu Sayed, a student of English department of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur, was shot dead by the police during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement on July 16.

Barrister Karim is currently leading a 12-member ICT prosecution team to investigate Shaheed Abu Sayed murder case and other cases filed in connections with murders, attacks and injuries during the July uprising in Rangpur.

Earlier on Sunday, the ICT prosecution team visited the house of Shaheed Abu Sayed in village Babanpur under Pirganj upazila of Rangpur and talked to the family members of Abu Sayed in connection with the investigation process.

The ICT prosecution team tvisited the scene of the murder of Abu Sayed at the Abu Sayed Gate (the then Gate No 1) of BRUR and prepared a ‘sketch map’ of the spot.

The team spoke to journalists and other witnesses at the scene about the killing of Abu Sayed on the day of the incident and collected original footage of electronic devices.

The ICT prosecution team also held a meeting with BRUR vice-chancellor Professor Md Showkat Ali at the university’s syndicate room in the administrative building.

Besides, the ICT team talked to a number of victims and relatives of the martyrs of the July-August   uprising at the university’s syndicate room as a part of the investigation process and collected important information.

Talking to journalists, Barrister SM Moinul Karim said that they came to Rangpur to visit the spot of Abu Sayed’s killing, collecting data and statements of the victims and those witnesses who were present there at that time.

‘So, if we initially find out the truth through investigation, then we will accept it as a case...We will collect data and evidence available from the journalists too. Later, we will go to the hospitals where doctors provided primary treatment to the victims,’ he said.

Replying to a question, the ICT prosecutor said, ‘If we count the speed of the other cases from the perspective of Bangladesh, those take years after years…the charge sheet has not come so far in the Sagor-Runi murder case…’

‘And there we received the accusation of the murder of Abu Sayed just a week ago... We have left... We are working day and night…we will ensure that we start the trial of this case as soon as possible,’ he said.

He said, ‘But if this is time-bound or if we are pressured about the time... then this trial may be hampered...That’s why we are trying to start the trial as quickly as possible to ensure justice.’

‘We (ICT) don’t just want to be international in name, we also want to be international in meaning...And that’s why we don’t need video forensics in this law and we can get it from any source,’ he said.

The ICT Prosecutor said, ‘We have come to you to get the raw video. So, from here you (journalists) can understand how much we are trying to maintain international standards in our work.’