Prosecutor Alleges Corruption Against Chief Prosecutor

A senior prosecutor at the International Crimes Tribunal has publicly accused Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam of corruption and procedural misconduct, claiming that the office of the chief prosecutor had been exploited as a means to generate financial gain. The allegations were made by Prosecutor B. M. Sultan Mahmud in comments on a Facebook post discussing tribunal controversies.

The post, shared on Monday via a Facebook account under the name Kazi Mostafizur Rahman Ahad and titled “Trading in Settlements and Royal Witnesses at the Tribunal: Why Is Tajul Islam Being Removed?”, prompted Sultan Mahmud to make two detailed comments accusing Tajul Islam and fellow prosecutor Gazi Monowar Hossain Tamim of engaging in corrupt practices.

Key Allegations

Sultan Mahmud highlighted multiple instances where senior police officials were allegedly manipulated within tribunal proceedings. Questions were raised regarding former Police Inspector General (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun and former Ashulia Police Sub-Inspector Sheikh Abzalul Haque being appointed as “approvers” (government witnesses) in sensitive cases. Additionally, the prosecutor cited cases in Rangpur and Ashulia, alleging that certain police officers were absolved or downgraded from charges despite evidence of serious misconduct.

Sultan Mahmud claimed that a syndicate led by Tajul Islam systematically converted the chief prosecutor’s office into a “money-making mechanism,” implicating several officials in corrupt arrangements. He specifically noted that approvals were issued in exchange for financial gain, undermining the integrity of tribunal proceedings.

Response from Tajul Islam

Following the cancellation of his appointment as Chief Prosecutor, Tajul Islam addressed the media at the tribunal premises on Monday. When asked about Sultan Mahmud’s allegations, he dismissed them as personal attacks and motivated by individual grievances.

Tajul Islam stated: “These are personal claims. We do not take them into account. Any statements made out of personal resentment are of no consequence.” When pressed about the incident involving SI Abzalul Haque’s wife, he replied: “I am unaware of this. Investigations into such allegations have found them to be completely false. The tribunal’s processes have been transparent and verifiable in court.”

He further emphasised the tribunal’s commitment to procedural transparency and defended the integrity of its trials, asserting that media and public scrutiny have consistently witnessed fair conduct throughout the judicial processes.