On his final day as Chief Prosecutor of Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal, Mohammad Tajul Islam faced allegations of corruption and misconduct from fellow prosecutor B M Sultan Mahmud. Sultan Mahmud claimed that a syndicate led by Tajul had turned the office of chief prosecutor into a means of financial gain.

The accusations surfaced in comments made by Sultan Mahmud under a Facebook post that questioned alleged “settlement trade” and the use of state witnesses in tribunal cases. In his remarks, he also raised allegations against prosecutor Gazi Monawar Hossain Tamim.

Among the issues highlighted were decisions to grant “approver” (state witness) status to former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun and former Ashulia police sub-inspector Sheikh Abzalul Haque. Sultan Mahmud questioned why certain police officials were made state witnesses instead of being prosecuted, and why one officer was reportedly exempted in a case linked to the killing of Abu Sayeed in Rangpur. He also alleged that in another case, despite video evidence showing a police officer allegedly giving orders to open fire, that officer was made a witness rather than an accused.

Referring to a case over the burning of bodies in Ashulia during the July uprising, Sultan Mahmud alleged that financial transactions influenced the decision to grant clemency to one accused officer who later received a pardon as a state witness. He further claimed that a small group within the prosecution was involved in irregular practices from the outset.

Tajul Islam rejected the allegations, describing them as baseless and motivated by personal grievances. Speaking to reporters at the tribunal premises after the cancellation of his appointment, he said such claims had already been examined and found to be untrue. He emphasized that tribunal proceedings had been conducted transparently and in accordance with the law. Prosecutor Tamim also denied the accusations, calling them false and ill-intentioned.

Meanwhile, the government appointed Md Aminul Islam as the new Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal. When asked about the allegations during his first day in office, Aminul Islam declined to comment in detail, saying that if any formal complaints were brought before him, they would be reviewed at the appropriate time.