War trial set to be delayed
The trial of war criminals will not begin this month as the Law Commission still working to make recommendations for amending the law for the trial needs two more weeks to complete its job.
The government earlier announced that the trial would start under the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act 1973 by the end of this month.
Sources said the commission requires more time to do the job as most of the legal experts, asked to submit their views on the law by June 11, failed to do so. Moreover, some of them have sought a few more days from the commission.
The commission asked about 31 legal experts, including some senior lawyers and former judges of the Supreme Court and teachers of law at universities, to give their opinions on the law. So far, only four have tendered their opinions to the commission.
Besides, the office of the Law Commission that planned to complete the job by June 20 on the basis of the experts' opinions is not equipped with enough manpower and logistic support to do it by this month.
Moreover, recently appointed Law Commission member Prof Md Shah Alam informed the chairman of his inability to join office before June 28.
The government last month asked the commission to make recommendations for amending the law.
While talking to The Daily Star, Law Commission Chairman Justice MA Rashid hoped that they would be able to send the government their recommendations on the law by the end of this month.
He said if the government accepts the commission's recommendations and parliament amends the law, the trial of war criminals will start in July.
Law Minister Shafique Ahmed, however, said the government would start probe into 1971 war crimes soon after the passage of the next budget.
He expected the trial process to begin at the beginning of July.
"We shall not wait for the law commission's opinion on the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act to start the trial process,” he said.
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