Enact Liberation War Denial Crimes Act
Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee yesterday submitted a 12-point demand to the government, including enactment of Liberation War Denial Crimes Act with provisions of punishment for denial of historically established facts and settled issues.
Committee also demanded immediate amendment of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act-1973 for trying political parties and forces for committing crimes during the Liberation War in 1971, enactment of Witness Protection Act for the witnesses of the war crimes cases and Liberation War Victims Compensation Act.
A six-member delegation placed the demands before the Law Minister Anisul Huq at his secretariat office. Later, committee's acting president Shahriar Kabir and the minister briefed the media.
Nirmul Committee has long been demanding to enact Liberation War Denial Crimes Act but the demand intensified after the controversial remarks of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia over the number of Liberation War martyrs.
Shahriar Kabir told The Daily Star that to prevent distortion of history of World War-II, many European nations enacted Holocaust Denial Act under which denial of the genocide figure of WW-II is a punishable offence.
Bangladesh must enact a law, so that none can deny or create controversy regarding the Liberation War, he said.
The law minister said they also think there should be a law and heard that the Law Commission has already prepared a draft. "Once we receive the draft, we will look into the matter," he said.
A member of the commission on Wednesday told this correspondent that they would submit a draft to the minister within February.
Shahriar, also a war crime researcher, said they demanded the amendment of ICT-Act 1971, as the existing law has no specific provision to punish an organisation, if found guilty. They sought immediate amendment so that parties and organisations like Jamaat-e-Islami, Muslim League, Nezam-e-Islami, Shanti Committee, Razakar, Al-Badr, Al-Shams and Mujahid Bahini can be tried, he said.
Anisul Huq said ministry has already prepared a draft for the amendment and will place it before the cabinet by next month.
Investigation Agency of International Crimes Tribunal completed investigating Jamaat in March 2014 and recommended banning it. The agency said it had found that the party was involved in grave war crimes but prosecution cannot proceed due to lack of punishment provision in the law.
The committee also demanded confiscation of the properties of the war crimes convicts and compensate the genocide victims; resumption of the operation of the International Crimes Tribunal-2, enactment of Minority Protection Act; and formation of National Minority Commission and Minority Affairs Ministry.
Nirmul Committee advisor and former Supreme Court justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik, its vice presidents Prof Muntassir Mamoon and Shaheed Jaya Shyamoli Nasrin Chowdhury, general secretary Kazi Mukul and central executive committee member Biplob Barua were among the members of the delegation.
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