Internal investigation to be conducted over demand of Tk 10m for bail: Chief prosecutor

The Office of the Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal held a closed-door meeting after allegations emerged that a former prosecutor of the ICT demanded Tk 10 million (1 crore) to arrange bail for an accused.

Following the meeting, Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam said that his office would conduct an internal investigation into the allegation.

The chief prosecutor made this statement to journalists during a briefing held at the tribunal premises on Tuesday afternoon.

Former Awami League Member of Parliament ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury is an accused in a case concerning crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Chattogram city during the July mass uprising.

Recently resigned prosecutor Md Saimum Reza Talukdar allegedly demanded Tk 10 million (1 crore) from Chowdhury’s family in exchange for securing his release on bail.

Several audio recordings of WhatsApp conversations reveal this information. The recordings were obtained by Prothom Alo and Netra News.

Both outlets verified the authenticity of the recordings. Prothom Alo and Netra News published a joint investigative report on the matter today, Tuesday.

After learning of the allegation against Saimum Reza Talukdar, the then chief prosecutor of the tribunal, Tajul Islam, removed him from the case.

However, Tajul Islam did not take any further action against Saimum. He also did not remove Saimum from his other responsibilities within the tribunal.

In a notification issued yesterday, Monday, the Law and Justice Division of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs stated that it had accepted Saimum’s resignation and relieved him of his duties as a prosecutor.

Saimum had been appointed as a prosecutor at the tribunal on 7 October 2024.

Regarding Saimum, chief prosecutor Aminul Islam told journalists, “I saw the news while sitting at home. I immediately asked all prosecutors to be present by 9 am. I tried to understand in detail what this matter is and why it happened. The prosecutor who is being referred to had probably submitted a resignation letter to me two or three days ago.”

Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam also said that he felt deeply distressed by the reports published about Saimum.