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Bangladesh expects justice in the Rohingya genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman said on Sunday.
“Justice is what Bangladesh expects. If genocide is established through the evidence and testimonies presented before the court, it will certainly be judged. That is what Bangladesh wants,” he told reporters after inaugurating a three-day training workshop on integrity in judicial proceedings at a hotel in Dhaka.
The ICJ is scheduled to deliver its verdict in the genocide case filed by The Gambia on May 19.
Asked about efforts to bring former prime minister Sheikh Hasina back to Bangladesh, Asaduzzaman said the government was following due legal procedures.
“We will deal with the matter in accordance with the law. There is no question of emotion when we take any step; the issue is applying the law,” he said.
He said Bangladesh had formally requested India to hand over Hasina under the bilateral extradition treaty.
“Whether the Indian government will hand her over is a matter for India. If she is handed over, we will bring her under the legal process in accordance with the law,” he added.
Responding to a question about reports that Hasina was staying in India as a state guest rather than a prisoner, the minister said she was a convicted criminal from Bangladesh’s perspective.
“She is a person convicted by our tribunal. That is her identity to us. How India views her is a matter for the Indian government,” he said.
On the recovery of money allegedly siphoned off abroad, the minister said all relevant government initiatives were already underway.
Asked about further action against lower court judge Ariful Islam, who was temporarily suspended after being found guilty of misconduct, Asaduzzaman said the matter was being handled through due process.
He said the suspension could either be withdrawn after completion of the proceedings or lead to further consequences, depending on the outcome.
