Editorial
Witness protection law crucial
The State has a duty to ensure their security
The recent murder of the brother of a witness in the war crimes trial, and himself a strong supporter of the movement against war criminals, has brought forth the vital issue of witness protection. There is no witness protection programme in the country and, in terms of the trial, though the International Crimes Tribunal Act mentions witness protection in its rules, it is without any detail.
The police claim to be providing protection for witnesses but this murder, followed by the mysterious death of another trial witness in Chittagong last month, has brought to the fore the vulnerability of trial witnesses. The latest victim, whose body was found, strangulated, under one of the city's flyovers, was the brother of a witness who testified against alleged war criminal Ghulam Azam, while the victim in Chittagong had testified against another alleged war criminal Salauddin Quader Chowdhury. Both witnesses had received threats prior to these deaths. Though the cases are yet to be resolved, there is a strong possibility that the murders may have a connection to the trial. The witnesses themselves, as well as their families, have expressed their feelings of fear and insecurity and had even sought legal protection earlier but without any result.
We believe it was and is the State's duty to protect witnesses. In other cases too, be it organised crime, murder, rape, domestic violence, etc., protection of witnesses is of the utmost importance if people are to seek legal remedies, without inhibition, for crimes perpetrated against them. The ongoing war crimes trial, which has put so much at stake for all parties involved, indeed, for the whole nation, clearly requires such a provision and at the earliest. Without some sort of guarantee of security, people will be afraid, if not unwilling, to come forward to bear witness against those who perpetrated such severe crimes against them and who may do so again. It is high time a witness protection law is formed and implemented to provide security for witnesses, strengthen the legal system and ensure justice overall.
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