Govt mulls legal step regarding war criminals’ property

Amid growing demand for confiscating the properties of convicted war criminals, the Law Minister Anisul Huq today said the government is mulling over formulating a new law to deal with the issue.

“We are mulling for taking action through legal procedure in this regard,” the minister said at a press briefing at his secretariat’s office.

Different pro-liberation organisations including Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, freedom fighters and martyred families have been demanding for confiscating the properties of the convicted war criminals and distributing the wealth among the victim families of 1971 Liberation War.

Two war crimes tribunals have so far delivered 26 judgements. Fifty people were convicted, including 28 sentenced to death, for the crimes they had committed during the Liberation War.

Anisul Huq also said action can be taken by amending the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973 (ICT-Act) or by formulating a new law.

But, as per the Muslim Law, the heirs of executed war criminals have already got the properties, the minister said adding that in that case, their properties might not be taken back by amending ICT Act, so new act must be enacted.