Dhaka, Nov 20 (V7N) – International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan is set to visit Bangladesh from Monday to November 28, during which he will meet Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus and focus on fostering global collaborations.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) announced that the process of finalizing the "Witness Protection Protocol," proposed by the ICC Office of the Prosecutor, is underway. According to Toufique Hasan, Director General of Public Diplomacy at MoFA, inputs from various ministries and departments have been received for this initiative.

During his visit, Khan will engage with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin, and will also visit the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar.

In their recent interaction during the UN General Assembly in New York, Karim Khan and Prof Yunus discussed strengthening Bangladesh-ICC cooperation, focusing on accountability for crimes against the Rohingya. They also deliberated on the legal steps required to file a case for crimes against humanity in connection with the July-August uprising, which claimed at least 700 lives and injured over 20,000 people.

Karim Khan emphasized that Bangladesh can submit a complaint to the Hague-based court, provided the procedural rules for such filings are followed.

Additionally, the ICC prosecutor updated Prof Yunus on the ongoing investigations into the Rohingya deportation case, initiated in 2019. Khan also commended the chief adviser’s three-point proposal addressing the Rohingya crisis.

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