Tribunal will be set up to try violence-related cases: Anisul

Law Minister Anisul Huq said on Thursday a tribunal under the Anti-Terrorism Act 2013 will be set up to try the cases relating to the current violence allegedly perpetrated by BNP-Jamaat alliance activists amid their nationwide indefinite transport blockade and shutdowns, report agencies.
The minister said this while talking to reporters after a meeting with the 12 -member delegation, led by Cristian Dan Preda, vice president of the European Union Parliamentary Human Rights Subcommittee, at the secretariat.
Session judges would try such criminals until the tribunal was formed, he said.
"We have sent letters to the session judges so that an additional session judge can give priority to trying such cases," he added.
The updated Anti-Terrorism Act was formulated in the light of the UN regulations and convention to prevent terrorism such as killing, carrying and use of arms and ammunition and other flammable objects to create panic and to check terror financing as well.
The new act allows courts to accept videos, still photographs and audio clips, chats and conversation used on the social media such as Facebook, Skype and Twitter. It provides a maximum jail term of 20 years and maximum fine of Tk 2.0 million for funding acts of terrorism.
Mr Anisul said the cases of such nature, already lodged, will be tried by the district and additional district and sessions judges across the country until the formation of the designated special tribunal.