In a decisive step towards ensuring justice for victims of the July Uprising, the government has constituted a seven-member committee to speed up the trials of crimes committed to suppress last year’s nationwide student movement.
The committee has been formed as part of an initiative by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. Its primary aim is to fast-track the trial process in the cases related to the uprising.
The committee will be headed by the additional secretary of the Law and Justice Division, said an official statement.
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 initially work on compiling a detailed list of cases related to murder and other serious offenses committed during the July Uprising, along with their current status.
It will also assess cases where charge sheets have already been filed and address any obstacles delaying the prosecution.
Moreover, the committee will keep the victims’ families and the public informed about the progress of its work, ensuring transparency throughout the process.
It will also make recommendations to enhance the safety of victims and witnesses involved in these cases.
Officials said that the trial of a murder case at the International Crimes Tribunal is progressing smoothly.
The government hopes that the new committee’s efforts will facilitate the swift and transparent handling of other serious crimes from the July Uprising in conventional criminal courts.
