Justice Shahinur becomes new chairman for Int'l Crimes Tribunal

The government has appointed Justice Md Shahinur Islam as the new chairman of International Crimes Tribunal 1. A gazette notification was issued on Wednesday reconstituting the tribunal. Justice Shahinur was previously a member of the tribunal. The government also appointed retired district judge Abu Ahmed Jomader and High Court Justice Amir Hossain as members of the three-member tribunal. Justice Md Suhrawardy, another member of the tribunal, has been reappointed to the High Court Division as per his request, the gazette notification said. Abu Ahmed Jamadar, who was the judge of Special Judge's Court 3, went on post-retirement leave (PRL) on June 15 this year. The post of the International Crimes Tribunal 1 chairman became vacant after the previous chairman, Justice Anwarul Haque, passed away on July 13 this year. After his death, trial proceedings at the tribunal came to a halt as the other two judges – Justice Md Shahinur Islam and Justice Md Suhrawardy – were not legally allowed to take any allegations into cognisance, or deliver any verdict. The International Crimes Tribunal 1 was formed in March 2010 to try individuals who have been involved in crimes against humanity during the Liberation War of the country in 1971. A second tribunal was formed in 2012, but that was suspended in 2015.