No further appeal for Hasina, ICT prosecutor confirms

Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam has said former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal, will have no further recourse to appeal, having failed to contest the verdict within the stipulated 30-day window.

Addressing journalists at the tribunal around noon on Monday, Aminul Islam disclosed that the prosecution was simultaneously reassessing the enforced disappearance cases currently pending before it, with those falling short of constituting widespread or systematic patterns slated for transfer to regular courts. He indicated that the authorities were also examining the legal procedure governing the seizure of assets confiscated from defendants convicted by the tribunal. Clarifying the threshold for what legally constitutes enforced disappearance, he noted that should law-enforcement agencies detain an individual beyond 24 hours without formally recording the arrest or granting access to legal counsel, the additional period of detention could itself be classified as such an offence.

The chief prosecutor further underscored that the tribunal's proceedings would continue to align strictly with the Prevention and Remedy of Enforced Disappearance Act, adding that every reported case of enforced disappearance would undergo rigorous scrutiny before any determination was reached. He reiterated that the review of confiscated-asset procedures was being conducted with a view to ensuring the tribunal's actions remained fully consistent with the broader legal framework, rather than running counter to it.

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Taken together, Aminul Islam's remarks signal a tribunal intent on tightening its procedural rigour even as it moves toward closure on high-profile verdicts, balancing the pursuit of accountability with an evident concern for legal precision and institutional restraint.