The government is planning to ban Jamaat-e-Islami by June this year for its war crimes against humanity during the war of liberation in 1971.
Minister for Liberation War Affairs AKM Mozammel Huq disclosed this on Friday while the 13th Muktir Utsab (Celebration of Freedom) at Dhaka University Physical Education Centre in the capital.“The government is planning to ban Jamaat-e-Islami by June this year for war crimes charges. Steps in this regard will be taken soon. However, we have no plan to ban religion-based political parties in the country,” he said.
The comments came over six months after a special High Court Bench of the Supreme Court by a majority view declared the registration of Jamaat, a major ally of the BNP-led 19-party alliance. The bench gave the verdict on August 1 last year upon a writ petition.
A Jamaat-e-Islami appeal against the High Court order cancelling the party resignation is now pending with Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
Jamaat amended its constitution in several phases to meet the registration requirements since no unregistered political party is allowed to take part in the polls.
Over 10,000 students from 500 schools in the city took part in the function which was organised by Liberation War Museum.
Teachers and students of Chayanot inaugurated the function by hoisting national flag, rendering national anthem and releasing pigeons.
Eminent artists and cultural personalities including Ferdousi Priyabhashini, trustee of Liberation War Museum Dr Sarwar Ali and Prof Dr Muhammed Zafar Iqbal, among others, were present on the occasion. – Staff Reporter
