Bribery and corruption allegations: After Tajul, Saimum resigns from the tribunal

BD Digest Report

International Crimes Tribunal prosecutor Md. Saimum Reza Talukder has been accused of demanding a bribe of Tk 10 million in exchange for the acquittal of a former member of parliament in the murder case of college student Wasim Akram in Chittagong. He resigned soon after the allegations surfaced and was relieved of his duties by accepting it.

The case was filed in connection with the killing of nine people, including college student Wasim Akram, and more than a hundred others injured in the July protests in Chittagong. The case alleges involvement of ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury, a former member of parliament from Chittagong’s Raozan constituency.

Following the resignation of Saimum Reza Talukder on Monday, two purported audio clips were released on a private television channel. The audios claim to show him discussing financial transactions with a lawyer for Fazle Karim Chowdhury’s family.

The leaked audio also mentions the expectation of ‘one crore taka’ and taking ‘one million taka in advance’ regarding the case, the report said. At the same time, it is claimed that the conversation also includes the topic of political lobbying regarding the case.

After the audio was leaked, the matter spread on social media, creating a new debate about the law and order and the transparency of the judicial system in the country. Legal and judicial sources said that the resignation letter received has been submitted to the tribunal chief and the matter is now under investigation.

However, Saimum Reza Talukder has completely denied these allegations. In a post on social media, he claimed that this is propaganda from a certain group and that the leaked audios are fake.

He said that the decision of a case is not in the hands of a single prosecutor. The verdict of the case is determined through the independent trial process of the investigation agency, the prosecution team and the court. As a result, there is no scope for any prosecutor to give special privileges to anyone individually.

Saimum Reza cited his desire to return to teaching and research at his previous university as the reason for his resignation.

Meanwhile, Tanvir Hasan Joha, another prosecutor and cyber expert at the tribunal, said that it has not yet been formally tested whether the leaked audios were created by artificial intelligence. However, initial voice analysis suggests that they are unlikely to be AI-generated.

He said that the real truth will be known once the investigation is completed through full forensic examination, voice sample, IPDR and CDR analysis.

It is worth noting that in February, the International Crimes Tribunal ordered the arrest and imprisonment of former MP Fazle Karim Chowdhury in the Wasim Akram murder case.

A mountain of allegations also against Chief Prosecutor Tajul

Meanwhile, a new controversy has arisen within the prosecution team of the International Crimes Tribunal over allegations of corruption. Former Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam has issued a written statement denying the allegations.

In a statement sent to the media on Tuesday, he said that some media outlets and social media outlets have spread “hateful and false information” against him. He claimed that these allegations are unsubstantiated and are aimed at questioning the tribunal’s trial process.

The newly elected government on Monday replaced Tajul Islam and appointed **Md. Aminul Islam** as the chief prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal.

Earlier, prosecution member BM Sultan Mahmud had accused another prosecutor, Gazi Monwar Hossain Tamim, of financial corruption on social media. He alleged that the wife of Sheikh Abzalul Haque, an accused in a case, entered Tamim’s room with a heavy bag and later the accused was made a witness.

However, Gazi Monwar Hossain Tamim dismissed these allegations as ‘personally motivated’. He said that such allegations are unexpected after the start of the judicial process and these claims cannot be sustained without evidence.

In this situation of accusations and counter-accusations, a new discussion has begun about the transparency and trial process of the International Criminal Tribunal’s prosecution team.