Supreme Court orders law ministry to relocate International Crimes Tribunal

The Supreme Court has ordered the law ministry to relocate the International Crimes Tribunal from the old High Court building in capital Dhaka, senior officials have said.

Law Secretary Abu Saleh Sheikh Md Zahirul Haque on Tuesday afternoon confirmed to bdnews24.com that they have received an order from the top court earlier in the day..

When asked whether the news of them receiving the letter was true, he only said, "That is correct."

Also, an additional registrar at the Supreme Court, asking not to be named, told bdnews24.com: "A letter has been sent to the law ministry asking it to move the tribunal since there is not enough space."

bdnews24.com later obtained a copy of the letter signed by Registrar Abu Sayed Diljar Hussain.

The letter states that the Supreme Court is faced with a shortage of rooms to house the chambers of judges and other staff offices.

Fearing that the issue would only aggravate with time, the directive has been made, the letter says.

Since being set up in 2010 to try the 1971 war criminals, the first war crimes tribunal of Bangladesh has been operating out of the old High Court building near the Supreme Court Mazar Gate.

Barister Shafique Ahmed, who was the law minister at the time of founding of the tribunal, told bdnews24.com, "I do not yet know why they have sought the relocation. The present accommodation was obtained with the due permission of the then chief justice."

"The Judicial Service Commission and the Law Commission offices were relocated then to house the tribunal at the place it is now," he said.

He said if the relocation becomes imperative then the tribunal should be shifted to a place where its records are safe and discharging its duties and obligations is possible.