Govt waits on probe reports

Law Minister Shafique Ahmed yesterday said BDR jawans who were involved in the Pilkhana killing can be tried under the Army Act 1952 while outsiders under the International War Crimes Tribunal Act 193 or the Special Tribunal Act.

He also said the government will decide after getting the probe reports on the Pilkhana killing on what law--conventional law or special tribunal act--the culprits will be tried and punished.

However, according to the legal experts, the highest punishment against the offences under these laws is death penalty.

Talking to reporters after inauguration of basic training for new assistant judges and judicial officials at Judicial Administration Training Institute (JATI), he said the disposal of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman murder case is at the final stage at the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.

The chief justice will take necessary steps for constituting a bench of the apex court for hearing this case after the attorney general's office submits a prayer, he said.

Shafique Ahmed said if the paper book on this case is readied, it will not take too much time for disposal of Bangabandhu murder case.

He said the International War Crimes Tribunal Act enacted by the Bangabandhu government in 1973 for trying the criminals involved in the offences against humanity and committing genocides, rape and torture against the country's people are still in force and if it is proved that such crimes were committed during the BDR mutiny, the criminals will be tried under this law.

The constitution will have to be amended to constitute the special tribunal for trying the culprits of Pilkhana but all things regarding the trial will depend upon the investigation, the law minister said.

Presided over by JATI Director General Justice Hamidul Huq, the meeting was addressed, among others, by its director Md Ashraful Islam.

The law minister at the meeting urged the new judges and others concerned of the lower courts to make a work plan to resolve those problems, which prolong the judicial functions.

The judges' responsibility is not only to deliver verdicts, but also to identify the problems for which the litigant people suffer in getting justice, and to resolve those, he said.

Shafique also said if the normal cases are disposed of through the arbitration system outside the courts, time and money of the litigants and others concerned will be saved.