Gulam Rabbani :
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has not been relocated yet despite the Supreme Court’s (SC) repeated instructions.
The SC in its last letter on December 4 asked the Law Ministry to relocate the ICT by December 31 from the old High Court building.
However, the Law Ministry sent counter letters to the SC, saying that relocation of the ICT may create outrage among the people and the Apex Court would be controversial.
Although yesterday was the last working day of the current year the SC’s order is still a far cry.
Meanwhile on Thursday the Law Ministry sent the second counter-letter to the SC. The letter signed by Kazi Mushfiq Mahbub Robin, Senior Assistant Secretary (Administration) Law Ministry, has been sent to SC yesterday, Law Ministry sources said.
Earlier on August 18, the SC sent its first letter asking the government to relocate the ICT from its premises.
In the letter SC Registrar General asked the Law Ministry to relocate the ICT from the Old High Court building. The SC letter cited accommodation problem.
Replying to the first letter, the Law Ministry sent a counter letter on October 30, saying that relocation of the ICT would not be a correct decision.
The SC in its second letter said as some very important and sensitive cases are now being conducted amid tight security at the lower courts, there should be no problem if the ICT is relocated.
In the last letter, the SC also said it was failing to accommodate its 2500 officials due to want of secure space. In many cases two or more officials share a single desk. As a result administrative work of the SC is being hampered. The last letter of the Ministry said that old High Court building is a historical infrustructure. Many war criminals have been procecuted after the tribunal started.
This is why the importance of the building has been increased. The people of the country want that the trial proceedings of the war criminals be continue in this building.
