Show trials lead to injustice: Barrister Sara Hossain

Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Sara Hossain has cautioned that show trials risk perpetuating injustice and called for all judicial processes to meet fair and transparent standards.

Speaking at a discussion titled ‘Truth and Healing Initiative in Post-Conflict Bangladesh’ held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center in Dhaka on Thursday (August 7), Sara Hossain emphasized that accountability for serious human rights violations must be pursued through just and credible legal processes.

“Those responsible for grave human rights violations must be held accountable, but justice must be fair and impartial. If trials are only symbolic, they will neither endure nor satisfy victims seeking redress,” she said.

Hossain also raised concerns over mass arrests and the practice of filing multiple or even hundreds of cases against individuals, urging that such practices be recognized as violations of human rights. She criticized the judiciary’s lack of attention to these issues.

The event was jointly organized by the International Institute of Law and Diplomacy and the Bangladesh 2.0 Initiative.

Photographer Shahidul Alam also spoke at the discussion, urging a move away from performative justice and calling on political parties not to exploit victims' families for political gain. “Justice must be ensured, not turned into a spectacle,” he said.

Other speakers included Huma Khan, senior human rights adviser at the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Dhaka, and Mustain Billah, a member of the Constitutional Reform Commission of the interim government.