ICT law to try organisations in next JS session: Minister
A bill amending the law to let the tribunals try and punish organisations for war crimes will be placed during the next parliament session for approval, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque said today.
“They who committed crimes in 1971 using religion should be tried. People of the country also want their trials,” the minister told reporters after placing wreaths at the Rayerbazar mausoleum marking the Martyred Intellectuals Day in the morning.
“The organisations involved in war crimes should be tried to establish justice and rule of law in the country. If not, they will commit such offences again,” he said.
He further said, “Those, who committed crimes during the Liberation War, have no right to do politics.”
The law ministry has prepared a draft to amend the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act -1973, so that organisations could be tried for crimes against humanity in 1971.
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 has termed Jamaat-e-Islami, which opposed Bangladesh's birth during the 1971 Liberation War, a “criminal organisation” for its role in the war.
In the wake of pressure from justice seekers for trying Jamaat, the government in February last year amended the ICT Act, paving the way for trying organisations for war crimes.
The law, however, lacked specific provisions for punishing the guilty organisations, which was considered a major obstacle to try Jamaat.
On December 7, Law Minister Anisul Huq said the bill is likely to be passed in parliament in January.
JAMAAT’S PUNISHMENT DEMANDED
Paying homage to the martyrs at Rayerbazar, Shomi Kaiser, an actress and daughter of martyred intellectual Shahidullah Kaiser said, “We have to fight against Jamaat’s ideology and philosophy for which it killed many people in 1971.
“We also have to build Sonar Bangla dreamt by the martyrs,” she told the reporters at Rayerbazar.
Dr Nuzhat Chowdhury Shampa, daughter of Shaheed Dr Alim Chowdhury, demanded trial of Jamaat which allegedly committed crimes during the war.
The government first has to ensure the trial so that no party can do politics with the ideology nurtured by Jamaat, she said.
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