Latif Siddique, Upset After Being Denied a Chance to Speak at Tribunal, Says: ‘Just Hang Me’

Special Correspondent

Former minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui was produced before the International Crimes Tribunal-2 on Thursday (July 30) in the genocide case surrounding the 2013 Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Square. The previous day, on Wednesday evening, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DB) arrested him from his residence in Gulshan because there was an arrest warrant against him from the International Crimes Tribunal.

The prosecution alleges that Latif Siddiqui was present at a party meeting organized to disrupt the Hefazat-e-Islam rally and plan related incidents, and he is listed as accused number 10 in the case.

Expressing anger in court

At around 1:45 pm on Thursday, a three-member bench headed by Tribunal-2 Chairman Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury ordered Latif Siddiqui to be sent to jail. Immediately after the order, a dramatic scene unfolded in the courtroom – the former minister tried to attract the court’s attention with a microphone in his hand, but after not getting a chance to speak, he finally kept telling the court that he wanted to tell the court to hang him and that he was ready for it.

It is clear from his response that he has expressed strong dissatisfaction with not being given the opportunity to present his views in the trial process and has expressed his distrust of the tribunal.

The larger context: Questions about the tribunal’s trial process

Notably, Latif Siddiqui’s outburst comes at a time when questions have been raised internationally about the judicial standards of the International Criminal Tribunal. Human Rights Watch recently expressed concern about the shortcomings and limitations in the tribunal’s judicial process, saying that these weaknesses could put victims at risk of being deprived of justice.

However, one side sees this question as a doubt about the legitimacy of the tribunal, while the other side believes that it is just a call to make the trial process more transparent – the trial process cannot be canceled. The future course of this case depends on how the next hearing of the case and the trial of the specific charges brought against Latif Siddiqui progresses.