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Govt to amend law to bring Jamaat to trial, says Anisul

January 10, 2019 00:00:00


The government will amend the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Act to bring Jamaat-e-Islami to trial as a political party, said Law Minister Anisul Huq, report agencies.

The law minister made the comments while talking to the journalists following a reception organised by the Legislative and Parliament Division at the secretariat on Wednesday.

The Jamaat-e-Islami is yet to face trial as a party for its role against the independence of Bangladesh during the Liberation War due to the complications in the existing law, although some of its leaders had been tried and hanged.

The Awami League government had moved to amend the ICT Act during its last tenure but it never happened.

"Why is the trial not taking place? This is my question. You should ask the prosecution. Once it became so important that we were facing pressure from different quarters and finished the investigation by March 27, 2014. Almost five years have passed by," said M Hannan, chief coordinator of International Crimes Tribunal Investigation Agency at a media briefing on January 01.

"We had prepared a draft and sent it to the cabinet but they have asked us to revise the legislative language in it. The issue is currently lying with us," said Anisul Huq when reporters asked him for an update on the issue.

"We will amend the act again following the directives from the honourable prime minister, and present it to the cabinet again."

"A commission will be formed to identify those 'masterminds' behind the assassination of Bangabandhu," he said.

In 1971, the Jamaat-e-Islami opposed the 11-point movement and other demands when the struggle for independence for Bangladesh reached its peak.

The party and its erstwhile student wing Islami Chhatra Sangha organised several groups called Razakar, Al-Badar and Al-Shams to collaborate with the Pakistani occupation force.

They were engaged in murder, rape, looting and other war crimes during the Liberation War. The Supreme Court has convicted seven top leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami as of now with five of them already hanged.

A court verdict has termed Jamaat-e-Islami a 'criminal party' saying those against the independence of the country should not occupy posts in any organisation in the country.


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