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Sad Day for Bangladesh Tribunals in the US Bar Association
By Shafquat Rabbee:
The famed “International” Crimes Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh and its supporters had a sad day in front of the US Bar Association two days ago.
The Bangladesh Government (BDG), most likely through a lobbyist firm, approached the US Bar Association to hold a seminar on the “International” Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh. It is possible that after the recent general “election” in Bangladesh , which the US still didn’t endorse, the “victorious” Awami League government wanted to showcase its side of the story around its most taunted domestic success i.e., the tribunals to a US audience.
According to credible sources, the US Bar agreed to hold the seminar and took control over the arrangement for the event, and BDG agreed to pay some of the costs. According to my sources, BDG also agreed to send key players in the tribunal as its representatives, including the chief of prosecution team, and if necessary, a senior judge to talk in the seminar.
US Bar for its part, started to ask BDG who should represent the defense team? My sources tell me, the BDG answer for this was wishy-washy. Later on the US Bar decided to invite Stephen Rap and Toby Cadman, two gentlemen whose background is well understood by the readers, I assume.
Seeing Toby and Stephen on the invited list, “some quarters” went on to influence these two men’s removal from the panel, according to my sources.
Eventually, BDG decided to not send anyone to the event from Bangladesh, and “someone” requested US Bar to cancel the event. Having already invited several of the speakers/guests, US Bar decided not to cancel the event, and asked Bangladesh to send atleast someone from the BD Embassy.
Ultimately, no one showed up from the Bangladesh side officially, except for a devout Shahabag supporter, whose rather entertaining questioning can be seen on the video clip starting from 58 minute, and should be contrasted with the narrative in this note, as well as with the starting remarks of the seminar at the beginning of the video clip.
The most interesting and saucy part of the above story, however, is not verifiable, but I would still like to narrate, since I have heard it from a credible source. The story is that the cost for catering for the event was supposed to be paid for by “a specific party”, who after the event declined to pay the bill on the ground that they cannot pay for the cost of ”food that Toby Cadman consumes”. No kidding!
Folks with proper access to information can verify my narrative, as I am sure this story wont be covered in any Bangladeshi established news medium.
However, it was an all-around display of peculiar diplomacy showcased by some important quarters from Bangladesh. Some of the key players in the seminar could not fathom as to why someone asks for a seminar and then subsequently try to kill it by not sending any representative.
A big winner out of the entire fiasco was Toby Cadman, who left the show with added credibility for his side of the narrative around the ICT Tribunals in front of a useful audience. This aspect of the event, I am sure, is not a welcome outcome for those who support the ICT tribunals with tremendous passion.
Here is the video link of the entire event:
http://nuraldeen.com/2014/02/28/sad-day-for-bangladeshs-ict-in-the-us-bar-association/
By Shafquat Rabbee:
The famed “International” Crimes Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh and its supporters had a sad day in front of the US Bar Association two days ago.
The Bangladesh Government (BDG), most likely through a lobbyist firm, approached the US Bar Association to hold a seminar on the “International” Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh. It is possible that after the recent general “election” in Bangladesh , which the US still didn’t endorse, the “victorious” Awami League government wanted to showcase its side of the story around its most taunted domestic success i.e., the tribunals to a US audience.
According to credible sources, the US Bar agreed to hold the seminar and took control over the arrangement for the event, and BDG agreed to pay some of the costs. According to my sources, BDG also agreed to send key players in the tribunal as its representatives, including the chief of prosecution team, and if necessary, a senior judge to talk in the seminar.
US Bar for its part, started to ask BDG who should represent the defense team? My sources tell me, the BDG answer for this was wishy-washy. Later on the US Bar decided to invite Stephen Rap and Toby Cadman, two gentlemen whose background is well understood by the readers, I assume.
Seeing Toby and Stephen on the invited list, “some quarters” went on to influence these two men’s removal from the panel, according to my sources.
Eventually, BDG decided to not send anyone to the event from Bangladesh, and “someone” requested US Bar to cancel the event. Having already invited several of the speakers/guests, US Bar decided not to cancel the event, and asked Bangladesh to send atleast someone from the BD Embassy.
Ultimately, no one showed up from the Bangladesh side officially, except for a devout Shahabag supporter, whose rather entertaining questioning can be seen on the video clip starting from 58 minute, and should be contrasted with the narrative in this note, as well as with the starting remarks of the seminar at the beginning of the video clip.
The most interesting and saucy part of the above story, however, is not verifiable, but I would still like to narrate, since I have heard it from a credible source. The story is that the cost for catering for the event was supposed to be paid for by “a specific party”, who after the event declined to pay the bill on the ground that they cannot pay for the cost of ”food that Toby Cadman consumes”. No kidding!
Folks with proper access to information can verify my narrative, as I am sure this story wont be covered in any Bangladeshi established news medium.
However, it was an all-around display of peculiar diplomacy showcased by some important quarters from Bangladesh. Some of the key players in the seminar could not fathom as to why someone asks for a seminar and then subsequently try to kill it by not sending any representative.
A big winner out of the entire fiasco was Toby Cadman, who left the show with added credibility for his side of the narrative around the ICT Tribunals in front of a useful audience. This aspect of the event, I am sure, is not a welcome outcome for those who support the ICT tribunals with tremendous passion.
Here is the video link of the entire event:
http://nuraldeen.com/2014/02/28/sad-day-for-bangladeshs-ict-in-the-us-bar-association/
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