ICT act amendment draft to get cabinet nod soon

Law Minister Advocate Anisul Haq said Tuesday the draft of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Act amendment would soon be placed before the cabinet for its approval, reports UNB.
"The government has prepared a draft for the amendment of the ICT law. It'll be placed before the cabinet for its approval soon," the Minister told journalists after a meeting with US Ambassador at-large for war crimes issues Stephen Rapp at the Secretariat in the city Tuesday.
He, however, refused to say when the draft would be tabled in parliament.
"The trial of war criminals is going on maintaining neutrality and transparency amid pressure from different sections," Anisul Haq said.
The Minister claimed that visiting US envoy Stephen Rapp showed relatively soft attitude towards the provision of death penalty in the trial of war crimes accused.
"As Stephen Rapp asked me whether there's any alternative punishment to death, I told him that the prosecution will seek the highest punishment during the trial of war crimes accused for committing heinous crimes like killing, rape and torture," he said.
About vesting power of impeachment of Supreme Court judges in parliament Anisul Haq said it would not be unrealistic if the power of impeachment is given to parliament.
Power has been given to parliament to impeach judges in many developed countries practicing parliamentary democracy, he added.