War crimes trial very fair: Shafique

Law Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed yesterday claimed that the International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh was operating in the fairest manner.
"I don't know if any fairer, more transparent, and more acceptable justice system does exist anywhere else. It's because no court in world's history did allow the accused of such crimes against humanity with such opportunities as offered by the tribunal," he said.
The minister said the accused here exercised their freewill to appoint lawyers and were allowed to produce witnesses and to appeal in the appellate division of the Supreme Court.
He said those who were questioning the fairness and acceptability were being unfair and were creating obstacles in the way of establishing the rule of law.
Shafique Ahmed made the remarks at a views exchange meeting in Gazipur on the legal provision making alternative dispute resolution (ADR) system mandatory.
Gazipur District Judge Begum Tanjina Ismail presided over the meeting at Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BIRI).
The law minister said ADR system had earned acceptability in many countries in the world. "It saves money and time in dispute settlement and benefits lawyers as well as litigants."