by Kevin Jon Heller
Bangladesh has ratified the Rome Statute, making it the 111th member of the International Criminal Court. Bangladesh was the first country in South Asia to sign the Statute, which it did on July 17, 1998. I don’t know what explains the 12-year gap between signature and ratification; if any readers know, please chime in below.
Bangladesh’s ratification will have immediate dividends. The country is set to begin prosecuting the individuals responsible for the atrocities committed in 1971 during its struggle for independence from what was then West Pakistan, and Bangladesh’s law minister has indicated that the government will rely on the provisions of the Rome Statute to guide the prosecutions.
Congratulations, Bangladesh!