SC asks law ministry again to relocate ICT
The Supreme Court has asked the law ministry once again to relocate the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) from its [SC] old High Court building.
Law Minister Anisul Huq today told this to reporters at his Secretariat office, adding that his ministry will again request the SC to review its directive.
The SC sent a letter to the ministry on December 4 asking the ministry to relocate the ICT by December 31, a law ministry official told The Daily Star.
Earlier on August 18, the SC had sent a letter to the law ministry asking it to relocate the ICT from its old High Court building and to hand over its possession by October 3.
As the SC now lacks adequate accommodation capacity for its judges and other staff, it needs the space, said the letter signed by Abu Syed Diljar Hussain, registrar of the SC's High Court Division.
On October 30, the law ministry sent a letter to the SC's registrar general, requesting the apex court to review its directive.
The law ministry said in the letter that the old High Court building was a traditional and historical structure. This building was constructed as an official residence of the then governors of East Bengal and Assam provinces and then it was turned to the High Court of the then East Pakistan.
The present government has decided to hold trial of the crimes against humanity and peace, and war crimes including genocides and rapes committed during the country's Liberation War in 1971.
The government has been using the building for the ICT as it did not get a safe structure at any other place.
In the letter, the law ministry said a part of the building was being used as office of the Law Commission and Bangladesh Judicial Service Commission in 2009 and then the building was not well maintained.
Considering the aspect of security and the building as the safest place, the ICT was set up there, the letter said.
Since then, the trial proceedings began and trials of many notorious war criminals were held there and that is why the tradition of the building has increased.
The ministry also said people of the country want that the building's dignity be upheld and protected by not relocating the ICT.
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