Mohammad Tajul Islam (Bengali: মোহাম্মদ তাজুল ইসলাম) is a lawyer of the Bangladesh Supreme Court[1] who has been serving as the Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal, established to try crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.[2] He was appointed as the Chief Prosecutor on September 7, 2024, by the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs.[3] Before this role, he served as a defense lawyer at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).[4][5][6]

Mohammad Tajul Islam
তাজুল ইসলাম
Born
Bangladesh
NationalityBangladeshi
OccupationLawyer
Known forChief prosecutor at the International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh)

Career

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Islam was a defense lawyer of leaders of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami charged with war crimes at the International Crimes Tribunal, and had worked with Barrister Abdur Razzaq.[7][8] He defended Jamat's Leader Abdul Quader Molla at the International Crimes Tribunal in 2013, who was sentenced to death.[9] He was the defense lawyer of Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed, secretary general of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, and charged with committing war crimes during the Bangladesh Liberation War.[10]

In March 2015, Islam was briefly detained by Bangladesh Police.[11]

Islam, a Supreme Court lawyer, was appointed as the Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal by the government on 7 August 2024. His appointment was formalized through a gazette notification issued by the law ministry, granting him the status of the Attorney General. He resigned from the post of joint convener of Amara Bangladesh Party before taking charge. Tajul Islam has previously represented several Jamaat-e-Islami leaders in cases before the ICT. [5][7]

Following his appointment, Tajul Islam highlighted the challenges ahead, including handling cases involving high-profile political figures. He emphasized the complexities involved in gathering, compiling, and presenting evidence and expressed the need for restructuring the tribunal's team by appointing new judges and investigators. [5][12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Hosan, Ragib; Television, Jamuna (2024-09-07). "Tajul Islam Appointed as Chief Prosecutor". Jamuna Television (in Bengali). Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  2. ^ "Advocate Tajul Islam made Chief Prosecutor at ICT". daily-sun. September 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  3. ^ "Tajul Islam Becomes Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal". Bonik Barta. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  4. ^ "Lawyer Tajul Islam made chief prosecutor at ICT". Prothomalo. 2024-09-08. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  5. ^ a b c "Advocate Tajul Islam made ICT chief prosecutor". The Daily Star. 2024-09-07. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  6. ^ Parvathi, Menon (October 2016), "International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh", Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law, Oxford University Press, retrieved 2024-09-08
  7. ^ a b "Jamaat leaders' lawyer Tajul Islam made ICT chief prosecutor". New Age. 7 September 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  8. ^ "Jamaat's Barrister Abdur Razzaq's return being stalled". Jamaat’s Barrister Abdur Razzaq's return being stalled. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  9. ^ "Bangladesh Islamist leader sentenced to death". SBS News. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  10. ^ "Mujaheed files appeal against ICT verdict". Dhaka Tribune. 9 August 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  11. ^ "Jamaat lawyer Tajul released". Banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 2015-03-05. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  12. ^ "Advocate Tajul Islam returning as Chief Prosecutor at ICT, where once he led defence of Jamaat leaders". dhakacourier.com.bd. Retrieved 2024-09-08.