Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has said that the supporters of the perpetrators behind the July killings continue to hold positions in various sectors, enabling the killers to flee justice.
“These supporters made it possible for the murderers to escape,” she said. “So, alongside prosecuting those who committed the killings, there must also be accountability for those who ordered and facilitated their escape.”
She made the remarks on Tuesday while speaking at an event titled “Justice for the July Massacre: Discussion and Documentary Screening” held at the Judicial Administration Training Institute in Dhaka. The event was part of the July Revival Programme organised by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.
Expressing frustration, Rizwana Hasan said, “Trials will proceed in absentia. The tribunal will deliver a verdict. But it is unacceptable that the actual killers will not be brought face-to-face with justice. Even if a few of the accused are sentenced, most will evade punishment. This is a fundamental weakness in the justice process that must be addressed.
She also criticised the persistence of “arrest trading and case trading,” alleging that Bangladesh is yet to free itself from these practices. “Without a change in political culture, no institutional reform will be sustainable,” she warned.
Calling on political leaders to act beyond personal and party interests, Rizwana urged them to prioritise national interest in their actions.
Speaking at the same event, Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal Mohammad Tazul Islam announced that the first witness hearing in the case against Sheikh Hasina will begin on 3 August. He also stated that trials of the top planners behind the July massacre are expected to be completed by December this year.
Law and Justice Division Secretary Sheikh Abu Taher delivered the welcome address at the programme. The event concluded with a prayer for those killed in the July uprising and the victims of the Milestone School and College aircraft crash.