Hasina, Khaleda not eligible for pardon by Truth Commission: CA

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Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed has said detained former Prime Ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina would not be eligible to appear before the proposed Truth Commission for pardon as they are already arraigned on corruption charges and facing trial in courts, reports UNB.
The Chief Adviser, however, said his caretaker government would accept whatever verdict is given by the judiciary, which he said, is now independent.
Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed made the remarks during an interview with Al Jazeera television in London last week. Renowned journalist David Frost took the interview during the CA's tour and was aired Friday at 1:00 am in a special programme styled "Frost."
On the question of lifting the state of emergency, he said restrictions imposed under the state of emergency on some political activities would be withdrawn to create a congenial atmosphere for holding elections.
Explaining the logic behind instituting Truth Commission, he said some people who had already been accused of corruption have been going through normal judicial process and there are others who may be willing to say that they had been involved in some irregular corrupt practices.
If the Commission is set up, the latter group of people will go through that process.
Asked whether those corrupt would be forgiven by the Truth Commission, the Chief Adviser said: "Yes, the idea is that they will be forgiven if they admit to having indulged in some kind of irregular corrupt practices. But, as part of that process, there may be some kind of restrictions on their participation in political activities for a limited time."
Asked if the two 'Begums' (Khaleda and Hasina) will also be pardoned if they go through the Truth Commission, Dr Ahmed said that if somebody is already arraigned and charge-sheeted and the judicial process has begun, they should go through the judicial process.
It is not only the two ex-premiers, he said, those who have crossed that threshold, they will not be eligible for appearing before the Truth Commission. "That's the thinking now, but it is not yet finalised."
Asked when the emergency will be lifted, Dr Ahmed said: "We've not yet fixed the time. We will be looking at all options when and how the state of emergency will be lifted."
Asked whether the general election will be held by December this year, as promised, Dr Ahmed said: "Absolutely, that is some kind of deadline. I have said this more than once and the elections will be held at the latest by December 2008."
In this context, the CA noted that the judiciary is an independent institution and they would accept whatever decision comes from the judicial process. "It will depend on judicial process and outcome of the judicial process."
Asked whether the number of detained persons in Bangladesh is 250,000 as published in some British press, Dr Ahmed straightaway denied, saying that the number is much lower. The total number of convicts and under-trial prisoners is around 75,000 to 80,000, and a handful of them had been detained under the Special Powers Act.