Law Minister Shafique Ahmed and State Minister for Law Quamrul Islam expressed satisfaction with the trial process and the 90 years’ jail sentence handed down to Jamaat-e-Islami’s former chief GhulamAzam.
The International Crime Tribunal 1 pronounced the verdict on Monday.
In immediate reaction at the law minister’s secretariat office, they said the verdict reflected people’s expectations.
They said everyone should comply with the trial as the case wastried 42 years after the incidentshad taken place.
Law Minister Shafique Ahmed said the tribunal had given judgment considering all the available evidences.
He added that all five allegations brought against GhulamAzam were proved during the trial and the tribunal told in the judgment that he should have been given capital punishment.
However, considering international provisions and the fact that the war criminal was very old, the tribunal handed the imprisonment term, Shafiq said.
“Nobody should raise any question regarding the trial process” the minister said, adding:“The tribunal finished the trial maintaining transparency, neutrality and international standards. Both defence and prosecutiongot the chance to examine the witnesses.People should put trust on the tribunal.”
Terming the trial process as a model for the world, he also said the verdict should be accepted.
Shafiq said trying the war criminals was one of the electoral pledges of the current government.
When asked whether the government would be able to bring all the war crime suspects to book, the minister said: “It is a responsibility of all the governments to execute the judgment of the courts. Every government will have to do it, if they believe in the rule of law.”
Junior Law Minister Quamrul Islam said,“The tribunal admitted that he should have been given capital punishment as all the allegations were proved. But, it considered his [GhulamAzam] age. So, the punishment of 90 years’ imprisonment was given.There is nothing to be dissatisfied with.”
“The government tried to ensure transparency in the trial process. Some people tried spread propaganda against the tribunal. The government is determined to execute the verdicts during its current tenure” he said.