There is a significant divergence in the way the International Crimes Tribunal for Bangladesh (ICT-BD) has been perceived by international and domestic audiences. The majority of western commentators have focused on issues of strict legality and have argued that the ICT-BD has failed to fulfil "international standards." From this perspective, the ICT-BD is not considered to have made "major contributions either to justice or to the establishment of the truth or to reparations" (Beringmeier 2018, 277). This view may be contrasted with the view of the majority of the local population, which want these trials to proceed even though many consider them to be "unfair" or "very unfair" (Bergman 2013). From their perspective, the ICT-BD is seen as challenging, for the first time, a deeply ingrained culture of impunity in Bangladesh (Sanjeeb Hossain 2017, 60). One issue that has received little attention in this debate has been the impact that the delayed prosecutions (almost 40 years) have had on the historical narratives of the 1971 conflict emerging from the ICT-BD. This paper will examine this issue in detail, on the basis of literature reviews and interviews with stakeholders involved in the ICT-BD. This research project was made possible through funding by the British Academy / Leverhulme.
