Response to ICC: Bangladesh for accountability for atrocities
In response to the ICC request, Bangladesh has concurred with both the territorial jurisdiction and the claim of forced displacement of Rohingyas as the country believes in establishing accountability for the atrocities committed against the Rohingya people from Myanmar.
The government also opted for “confidential” mode of submission to the International Criminal Court on the Rohingya issue, which Bangladesh thinks as a testimony to its “keenness to seek bilateral solution” to this problem.
A highly placed diplomatic source here confirmed The Daily Star that Bangladesh Ambassador in The Hague Sheikh Mohammed Belal, who came to Dhaka for consultations a few days ago, handed over the document of Bangladesh observations to the ICC yesterday.
The ICC fixed June 11 for last date of submission of the official response and accordingly Dhaka submitted it in “written and confidentially” to the Pre-Trial Chamber (PTC)-I of the ICC.
The ICC in a letter to Dhaka on May 7 invited “the competent authorities of Bangladesh to submit observations, either publicly or confidentially, to the prosecutor on three specific matters since Bangladesh has been affected by the deportation of Rohingya populations from Myanmar.”
The ICC requested information and observations on “(i) the circumstances surrounding the presence of members of the Rohingya people from Myanmar on the territory of Bangladesh; (ii) the possibility of the Court's exercise of territorial jurisdiction over the alleged deportation of members of the Rohingya people from Myanmar into Bangladesh; and (iii) any other matter in connection with the prosecutor's request that, in the opinion of the competent authorities of Bangladesh, would assist the chamber in its determination of this request.”
Bangladesh, being one of the state parties to the Rome Statute, responded to the request of the ICC.
"It's, therefore, anticipated that Bangladesh made this submission concurring with the main arguments put forward by the office of Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda of ICC," reads the content of the submission to the ICC.
Bangladesh conveyed the ICC that the enormity of this human catastrophe is so overwhelming, it is almost a moral and ethical obligation for the government of Bangladesh to oblige with the Court request.
"This is why Bangladesh concurred with the prosecution's well-crafted arguments that over a million people have been displaced from Myanmar into Bangladesh through expulsion, deportation and through other coercive means," the document reads.
Meanwhile, UNB reports that United Nations secretary general's special envoy on Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, will undertake the first visit to Myanmar in her new capacity beginning today.
Following her visit to Myanmar, the special envoy, who was appointed on April 26 plans to visit other countries in the region, including Bangladesh, according to her travel information.
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