Staff Correspondent:

Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Tazul Islam said that formal charges against ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be filed on Sunday.

“We are determined to push the trial process forward,” he said.

Tazul Islam made the announcement at a discussion held on Saturday morning at the National Press Club, marking the International Week of the Disappeared.

The event, titled “Ensure Immediate Trial of Those Involved in Enforced Disappearances,” was organised by the human rights group Odhikar.

The international week is observed from 17 to 31 May.

Tazul Islam referred to Sheikh Hasina as the “nucleus of enforced disappearances and the Ayana Ghar.”

He said notable progress in the case could be seen by December. “The prosecution is moving ahead at full speed, though completing the investigation will reasonably take time.”

He informed the gathering that investigations into 10 to 15 major cases of enforced disappearances have already been completed, and reports are expected by June.

The Chief Prosecutor noted that significant barriers to the trial process have already been removed, and the tribunal has broadly mapped out both the structure of the crimes and those allegedly responsible.

However, he acknowledged that challenges remain in arresting those involved in the disappearances. “We are actively working to ensure their arrests,” he added.