Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam on Saturday accused the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC) of failing to cooperate with the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), alleging that key evidence has been destroyed and recovery efforts remain a major challenge.
Speaking at a panel discussion titled "Authoritarianism, Atrocity, and Accountability: Human Rights Abuses and Transitional Justice in Bangladesh" at the second day of Bengal Delta Conference 2025 held at the Hotel Intercontinental, he said continued resistance within law enforcement agencies was hindering the investigation process, with evidence being withheld.
Tajul said a significant number of genocide allegations during the July mass uprising were against police members.
"But they cannot be arrested, because their colleagues are hesitant to arrest them," he said.
He further said the police are still accustomed to investigating under the old laws, so there are certain limitations in their investigations as well.
"Many remain accustomed to applying outdated laws," he noted.
The prosecutor also expressed uncertainty about whether the next elected government would continue to pursue the war crimes trials, urging political parties to commit to ensuring justice.
Tajul Islam noted that despite the time constraints, the ICT aims to complete the trials of eight to ten top perpetrators by February.
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