Inquiry ordered into alleged Tk 1 crore bribe demand for bail: Chief Prosecutor

Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam has announced an internal investigation into allegations that a recently resigned prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal demanded a bribe of Tk 1 crore in exchange for securing bail for an accused.

Speaking at a press conference at his office on Tuesday afternoon, March 10, he said the matter is being taken seriously as soon as the allegations came to light. Discussions have been held with concerned individuals, and necessary action will be taken following an internal investigation.

According to the allegations, Prosecutor Md Saimum Reza Talukder demanded Tk 1 crore from the family of former Awami League member of parliament A B M Fazle Karim Chowdhury to secure his bail in a case of crimes against humanity. Multiple audio recordings of WhatsApp conversations containing such information have been found. The matter sparked widespread discussion after being published in a joint investigative report.

The Chief Prosecutor said after seeing the news, he urgently instructed all prosecutors to be present by 9:00 am and tried to learn details of the incident.

He said the accused prosecutor had submitted his resignation to him two to three days ago.

Prior to the allegations emerging, then Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam had removed Saimum Reza Talukder from responsibility for the concerned case. However, no other administrative action was reportedly taken against him.

On Monday, the Law and Justice Division of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs accepted Saimum's resignation through a notification, relieving him of his duties as prosecutor. He had been appointed as a Tribunal prosecutor on October 7, 2024.

Aminul Islam said at the press conference that the truth will be uncovered through a transparent investigation into the matter.