Proposed 10-year ban on political parties for committing crimes
September 24, 20244 Mins Read

Jumbangla Desk: The Interim Government has proposed the preliminary draft of the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act by proposing eight amendments including a 10-year ban on political parties that commit crimes against humanity including genocide. In the draft, it is proposed to bring the person under the leadership of any organization, organization, group, organized circle or entity, despite knowing that it can be a crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, etc.

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Apart from this, the proposal is also kept in the draft so that the accused person can appoint a foreign lawyer, subject to the permission of the tribunal, domestic and foreign observers can observe the proceedings in the court. In order to ensure transparency in the trial, it is proposed to add the provision of live broadcasting of the hearing if the tribunal wants it.

On Monday (September 23), senior officials of the Ministry of Law, university teachers, lawyers, students and representatives of civil society participated in the discussion meeting on the preliminary draft. The meeting was held at the Judicial Administration and Training Institute of the capital.

Adviser on law, justice and parliamentary affairs in the speech of the president. Asif Nazrul said, we have taken the initiative to reform the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act, 1973. The law will be amended with the opinion of those who are experts in the matter. He said, he has seen in the past, what kind of injustice has been done in the name of justice in this country.

I will try to ensure acceptable justice for the July-August killings to every people of Bangladesh and to the international world. He said, no matter how much pain, frustration and anger we have in our hearts, the trial of this murder must be acceptable to everyone. We do not seek revenge or vengeance. We want to ensure justice.

Adilur Rahman Khan, adviser to the Ministry of Industry, Housing and Public Works, said that after considering all aspects, a decision has been taken to prosecute the case in the International Criminal Tribunal. It has been decided to correct the weaknesses in the law with everyone's opinion.

Ashfaq Rahman, senior assistant secretary of the Ministry of Law presented the draft amendment in the meeting. In the proposed draft amendment, 3 new sections namely 4A, 13A and 20A and 2 new sub-sections namely 3(3) and 12(2) have been added. Besides, amendments are proposed in Section 3(2)(A), 4(2) and Section 19.

Section 3 of the Act proposes to include disappearances, gender-based violence, sexual slavery, forced sex and pregnancy as part of a widespread and systematic attack in the definition of crimes against humanity. As a result of the proposed amendment, widespread and systematic attacks on any civilian on gender and cultural grounds will be treated as crimes against humanity. It is proposed to include all types of digital evidence and digital evidence taking process. Provision is made for video streaming or audio-visual recording of the proceedings of the Tribunal.

At the meeting, the adviser on local government, rural development, cooperatives and land ministry. F. Hasan Arif said that the law will be stronger through the amendment. Attorney General Advocate M. Asaduzzaman said that the opportunity should be kept in the law so that the victim's family can also appoint a lawyer. It will ensure justice.

Head of Election Commission Reform Commission. Badiul Alam Majumder said that those who destroyed the basic structure of the constitution and election system should also be brought under justice. If the electoral system had not been destroyed, the killings of July-August would not have happened.

Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal M. Tajul Islam said the law should be amended in such a way that after the trial, both the parties feel that they have got justice.

Senior advocate ZI Khan Panna said, we have to abolish the anti-people laws first. If not eradicated then all efforts will fail.

Barrister Sara Hossain said that an international level judge should be appointed to the tribunal to make the judge acceptable. May those who judge remain from the beginning to the end. No judge should withdraw in the middle of the trial.

Barrister Jyartimoy Barua said that all types of evidence have been included in the digital evidence and the process of taking evidence in a digital manner. But the authenticity of the digital evidences must be ensured.

Secretary of Law and Justice Department at the meeting. Golam Rabbani, Secretary of Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Department (ongoing duty). Hafiz Ahmed Chowdhury, former District and Sessions Judge Iktedar Ahmed, Dhaka University Law Department Professor Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman and Professor Najmuzzaman Bhuiyan, Rajshahi University Law Department Professor Dr. Begum Asma Siddiqa, Barrister Shamim Haider Patwari and others gave speeches.