Dhaka, Jan 09 – Law Minister Anisul Huq on Wednesday said the government would take further initiatives to amend the relevant law for holding the trial of Jamaat-e-Islami as an organisation for committing a crime against humanity during Liberation War in 1971.“The law will be amended as per instruction from the prime minister. We have sent the relevant law to the cabinet division earlier. But, cabinet division asked the law ministry to change some legislative
language. Now, the law is in the law ministry. We will try to send it to the cabinet division very soon after taking instruction from the prime minister,” the law minister said while talking to reporters at
his secretariat office after he was accorded a reception by the law ministry officials and staffs.
The law minister also said that a commission would be formed to identify all of the conspirators who were involved in the gruesome killing incident of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The previous Awami League government took an initiative to amend the law for holding the trial of Jamaat as an organisation involved in committing crimes against humanity but the process was not completed
during its regime.
The law minister yesterday said that they would take initiative to amend the law so that the government can try the Jamaat-e-Islami as a political party.
The investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal on January 1 expressed discontent as a trial of Jamaat-e-Islami as a party did not begin even five years after completion of a probe over its role in 1971.
“My personal opinion is that the matter [trial of Jamaat] should be settled. It [Jamaat] has already lost registration. There are allegations and observations against it. It has been mentioned as a criminal organisation in each judgment,” said Abul Hannan Khan, coordinator of the agency.
On August 1, 2013, the HC declared the Jamaat’s registration with the Election Commission (EC) illegal.
On December 12, 2013, the Jamaat filed an appeal before the Appellate Division of the SC, seeking a stay order against the HC verdict that declared the party’s registration illegal. The chamber judge did
not pass any stay order and sent the matter to the Appellate Division for hearing. The apex court is yet to start a hearing on the appeal.
Founded by Abul Ala Maududi in 1941, Jamaat was banned twice during the Pakistani era in 1959 and 1964 for its communal role. It got banned again just after Independence in 1971 but was allowed to
return to politics after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975. – Staff Reporter
