SC requested again to review order on ICT relocation

The law ministry sent another letter to the Supreme Court requesting it to review its directive to relocate the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) from its old High Court building, Law Secretary ASSM Zahirul Haque Dulal said today.

If the ICT is relocated, anger will be created in people's mind and it will not be universally accepted, rather the SC will be questionable to the country men, law ministry sources said citing from the letter.

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Relocation of the ICT and handover of the possession of its building to the SC will not be accurate, the sources said.

Kazi Mushfiq Mahbub Rabin, senior assistant secretary to the law ministry, signed the letter which was sent to the SC's registrar general today. 

Earlier on August 18 this year, 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 31.

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 SC to review its directive.

The law ministry said in the October 30 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 Asam 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 as ICT as it did not get a safe structure at any other place, the ministry said, adding that trials of many notorious war criminals were held there and that is why the tradition of the building has increased.

On December 4, the Supreme Court has further asked the law ministry to relocate the ICT from its (SC) old High Court building by December 31 mentioning the similar reasons.