Dhaka, Dec 24 The second war crimes tribunal has asked former Railway Minister Suranjit Sengupta to explain his announcement of a timeline for verdicts to hang 14 criminals.
Citing a report of the daily Amar Desh of Dec 23, the court observed that the sacked minister, currently in the Cabinet without a portfolio, had said 14 marked war criminals would be hanged.
Sengupta reportedly said in a public rally, "The sentences to hang them will be executed. No one will be able to stop it."
The senior Awami League leader, who had to resign from his job following a cash recovery scandal, had reportedly said that the trials would be over by next year.
The three-judge International Crimes Tribunal – 2, set up to expedite trials of crimes against humanity, said in its order Sengupta's statement had come to its notice wherein a "significant member" of parliament touched upon a time frame for pronouncing the verdicts.
The order then said that the tribunal, headed by Justice Obaidul Hassan, with members Justice Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Shahinur Islam, was taking "the matter into cognisance" on its own volition as the comment in the report "appears to be extremely derogatory to the independence of the tribunal causing substantial obstruction to the administration of justice".
"Thus," the court said, "we need to have explanation from Mr Suranjit Sengupta as to how and on what basis he has foretold such imaginary comment in public on a sub-judice matter."
The Awami League leader has been directed to submit his explanation "through a counsel on or before Jan 2".
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