The president promulgated an ordinance on Monday, amending multiple sections and introducing a new sub-section in the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973.

The amendment empowers investigation officers to conduct searches and seize documents without prior permission of the tribunal and send them to a competent authority for examination. This provision existed in the original 1973 act but was later dropped, ICT Prosecutor Gazi Monawar Hossain Tamim told journalists yesterday.

Another amendment reduces the time for an accused to prepare a defence from six weeks to three weeks, he added.

Last year, the act was amended to authorise the tribunal to allocate an accused's seized assets to victims or the state. The ordinance now empowers the tribunal to order the freezing or confiscation of assets to prevent evasion or flight, ensure justice, and facilitate compensation under section 20A of the act, said prosecutor Tamim.

Through the "International Crimes (tribunal) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025", a sub-section has also been added to section 19 of the act that reads, "Notwithstanding anything contained in this section, the tribunal shall not be bound by technical rules of evidence and may adopt and apply expeditious and non-technical procedures."