The process of amending the International Crime Tribunal (ICT) Act is underway to put Jamaat-e-Islami on trial as an organization for crimes against humanity during the Bangladesh War of Liberation in 1971.
Law Minister Anisul Huq on Monday said that the process of amending the law to try Jamaat-e-Islami as a war criminal political party is underway.
He said this while replying to a question from journalists after inaugurating a training workshop for judges at the Judicial Administration Training Institute (JATI) in the capital on Saturday.
Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, director general of the training institute presided over the function while Md Golam Sawar, secretary of the ministry and Sheikh Ashfaqur Rahman, director (training) of JATI also spoke on the occasion.
Replying to a question on whether the government lacked sincerity in the trial of Jamaate-e-Ismai, Anisul Huq said that it was the Awami League government that tried the top leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami in cases of crimes against humanity and executed exemplary punishment. So, the government is sincere for trial of Jammat as an organisation. The process of amending the law for the trial is underway, he informed.
Replying to another question, the law minister said the case regarding cancellation of Jamaat’s registration is pending in the Appellate Division. “So, I will not talk about the pending matter,” he said.
Addressing the judges, he said they must play a vital role in resolving the backlog of cases by following the judicial decision. The government will have no obligation to provide all kinds of support to the judiciary. But there will be a demand for the judiciary, which is that the common people seeking justice get justice quickly and that they get rid of the prolonged status of the case, he added.
He said the budget for the judiciary has been increased more than any other government. The judges have been trained at home and abroad. Infrastructure facilities have been increased. Now it is your responsibility to ensure that people get justice quickly.
He told the trainee judges that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina established this training institute for judges for the first time after forming the government for the first time in 1996. The process of establishing another world-class judicial academy is going on in the country. Where judges can receive world-class training.
On August 1 in 2013, the High Court had declared the Jamaat’s registration with the Election Commission (EC) illegal.
On December 12 in 2013, the Jamaat filed an appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, seeking a stay order against the HC verdict.
Founded by Abul Ala Moududi in 1941, Jamaat was banned twice during the Pakistani era in 1959 and 1964 for its communal role. It was banned again just after Independence in 1971, but was allowed to return to politics after the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975.
The first amendment to the 1973 law was done in 2009 with the second in 2012. Then the need for the law to be amended rose again when initiatives were taken to try the party for war crimes.
