FIDH, AI urge govt to ensure rule of law, protect minorities

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Nizam Ahmed International rights organisations have called upon the relevant authorities in Bangladesh to ensure rule of law and protect Hindu community from the ongoing violence across the country. Criticising a recent amendment to the rules of the International Crime Tribunal (ICT), the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) on Thursday pleaded to uphold rule of law while the London-based Amnesty International (AI) advocated for the protection of Hindu minority community. A wave of violent attacks against Bangladesh's minority Hindu community shows the urgent need for authorities to provide them with better protection, AI said in a statement on Wednesday. FIDH said the recent amendment to the rules of ICT now prosecuting some opposition leaders for their alleged involvement in crime against humanity during the country's liberation war in 1971, might block the accused from getting justice. However, prosecution lawyers of the ICT refuted the observation of the FIDH and said the amendment had created opportunities equally for the prosecution and the defence to seek for appeal at the higher court. The FIDH in a statement issued on Thursday alleged that the recent amendment to the ICT rules was aimed at interfering with the ICT verdicts by the government for political benefits. "Evidence of government's interference, combined with verdicts which are clearly politically-motivated and recent amendments of ICT rules, allowing in particular for a person to be tried or punished again for an offence for which he/she has already been acquitted, are aggravating factors which require an immediate stay on death sentences," the statement quoted FIDH President Souhayr Belhassen, as saying. The international rights organisation strongly opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, said FIDH President Ms Belhassen. However, the prosecutors at the ICT said the amendment was not meant to retry acquitted persons, but it had ensured rights of the prosecution to appeal against any erroneous acquittal. "By the amendment now both the prosecution and the defence have equal opportunities to appeal against any judgment if assessed inadequate by any of the prosecution or the defence," Advocate Ranadas Gupta, a prosecution lawyer told the FE. The FIDH also called upon the government and all the relevant political parties in Bangladesh to stop violence immediately and start dialogue in quest of peace. The FIDH also advised the relevant authorities and parties in the country not to participate in any act of heinous campaign against their opponents. The global rights organisation issued the statement as deadly violence and opposition-led political campaigns including nationwide strike and stoppages continued in Bangladesh over the past several weeks after a special tribunal started convicting some opposition leaders for their alleged crimes against humanity. The violence spread and intensified following the latest verdict of the International Crimes Tribunal-1 that sentenced to death Moulana Delwar Hossain Sayedee, a Nayebe Amir (vice president) of Jamaat-e-Islami on February 28 for his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity during Bangladesh liberation war. However, the violence started after ICT pronounced its maiden verdict against Moulana Abul Kalam Azad on January 21, as armed activist swooped on police suddenly in a hit and run tactics across the country. FIDH has expressed serious concerns following a month of violent protests that caused the death of at least 98 persons in Bangladesh, including women and children. However, Home Minister MK Alamgir told the parliament on Monday that some 67 people were killed and several hundred injured since February 28. Since last week, many people have been killed by state security forces, which have used live ammunitions against protesters, the statement said. However, Bangladesh police denied that they had used any live bullets during the incident, but admitted that they were forced to fire rubber bullets in self defence as last resort, when attacked by armed violent activists. "At least seven policemen have been killed and dozens of their colleagues were wounded during sporadic clashes across the country," a senior official of the ministry of home affairs said. He said it was believed by all quarters at home and abroad that the violent protesters attacked police and resorted to violence at different spots following the latest verdict of the ICT-1. Only a transparent investigation will bring light on those responsible for the killing of innocent people, many of whom were mere by-standers, said the international right organisation said.